Vastibular and Auditory pathway Flashcards
Where is the vestibule?
- central portion of inner ear
the system is found within the TEMPORAL bone
What is the vestibular system responsible for?
- balance, posture and equilibrium
- coordinates head and eye movement
What makes up the Vestibular system?
- 3 Semicircular canals —-that lie on diff. planes
(X,Y,Z)
—-filled with endolymph
What do the ampulla of the semicircular canals contain?
- – hair cells that BEND with rotation
- —-these hair cells RELEASE NT > AP prodn
- —-signals produced is based on MOTION
Which organs of the vestibule contain otolith?
-UTRICLE and SACCULE
otolith= ear stones= Calcium carbonate crystals
What is the otolith responsible for?
- —sits on TOP of hair cells
- drags hair cells in response to LINEAR MOTION (up, down, forward and backward)
- —-generating VESTIBULAR neural activity
Where does the Vestibular nerve send signals to ?
- the BRAINSTEM (vestibular nuclei)
- the CEREBELLUM
Where is the vestibular nuclei found?
- beneath the FLOOR of the 4th ventricle (in PONS/ MEDULLA)
3 typical symptoms a.w dysfxn of the Vestibular system?
- VERTIGO: spinning room (when head is still)
- nystagmus
- N.V
Describe how nystagmus presents as?
- rhythmic beating of the eyes
- –slow drift of eye to one direction
- —correction to the other directions
What form of nystagmus does a pt have, if their RIght eye quickly corrects to the left side?
- Left-ward nystagmus
- –named for direction of the fast correction
Name the diff. types of nystagmus, which indicate a PERIPHERAL vestibular dysfxn.
- left, right and torsional
- –issues with the vestibular apparatus in the INNER ear
Name the types of nystagmus a.w CENTRAL vestibular dysfxn.
UPBEAT and DOWNBEAT
—in brainstem lesions (strokes/ tumors)
Which form of nystagmus is bad, central or peripheral?
CENTRAL
- –indicative of potential:
- brainstem/cerebellar lesion
- TIA/ vertebrobasilar stroke
- tumor (posterior fossa)
- cerebellar infarction and hemorrhage
Name benign causes of nystagmus.
- peripheral lesions/ conditions > Inner Ear problem > BPV (benign positional vertigo) > vestibular neuritis > Meniere's disease
What are the signs of Central vertigo?
- pure VERTICAL nystagmus
- —nystagmus changes direction with gaze (look r; upbeat/ L= downbeat)
- DIPLOPIA
- DYSMETRIA (nose-finger test)
- —skew deviation (vertical misalignment of the eyes)
- POSITIONAL testing= IMMEDIATE nysatgmus
—-other CNS symptoms
What is seen with peripheral nystagmus?
- mixed horizontal and torsional nystagmus
- —DELAYED nystagmus (on positional testing)
- —nystagmus FATIGUES over time
- —-stable ROMBERG
How to perform postional testing?
- DIX-HALLPIKE MANEUVER
- –done to reproduce vertigo and cause NYSTAGMUS
- –seated pt, turn head to side; rapidly lie pt on table; heading hanging over end
What helps DX BPV?
- Dix Hallpike Maneuver
What is seen in a typical DHM?
- BPV
- —no symptoms for 5-10s
- —-room spins (vertigo) and TORSIONAL nystagmus occurs
- —resolved with SITTING up
- FEWER symptoms with repeated maneuvers