Vestibular System

Question 1

The utricle senses ________ acceleration information.

Answer 1

Horizontal

Question 2

The Saccule senses _________ acceleration information.

Answer 2

Vertical

Question 3

What is the thing that contains hair cells in the christa ampullae of the semicircular canals called?

Answer 3

Cupula

Question 4

What is the medial vestibulospinal tract involved in?

Answer 4

• bilateral
• cervical spinal cord for neck movements
• coordinates head and eye movements to stabilize gaze

Question 5

What is the lateral vestibulospinal tract involved in?

Answer 5

• Unilateral/ipsilateral

- goes to all levels of spinal cord for postural adjustments

Question 6

What is the vestibulo-occular reflex modulated by?

Answer 6

-inhibitory efferents from cerebellar purkinje cells

Question 7

What is the vestibulo-occular reflex modulated by?

Answer 7

-inhibitory efferents from cerebellar purkinje cells

Question 8

When does abnormal nystagmus occur?

Answer 8

-with lesions to the peripheral vestibular system (head trauma or temporal bone fractures)

Question 9

What is benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) and what causes it?

Answer 9

• pt experiences sudden intense vertigo with certain head/body positions or movements
• caused by otoconia that break free from ultricle or saccule and become lodged in cupula

**80% cure by using epley maneuver

Question 10

What is labyrinthitis?

Answer 10

• virus or bacteria infect vestibula labyrinth or CN 8

- sudden intense vertigo, nausea, and/or nystagmus that lasts for days or a week

Question 11

What are the symptoms of Meniere’s disease?

Answer 11

• sudden intense vertigo lasting minutes to hours
• tinnitus
• sense of pressure/fullness in ear

Question 12

What prescription drugs can cause ototoxicity (hearing loss, balance problems, nausea)

Answer 12

• aminoglycosides

- Cisplatin

Question 13

What prescription drugs can cause ototoxicity (hearing loss, balance problems, nausea)

Answer 13

• aminoglycosides

- Cisplatin

Question 14

What does it mean if a patient can hear tones, but is having trouble hearing words at the same threshold?

Answer 14

-problems more centrally, perhaps in cortex

Question 15

What is one of the only things that causes a low frequency sensory-neural hearing loss?

Answer 15

Menier’s disease

Question 16

What toes tympanometry audiometric testing tell us?

Answer 16

-if there’s a problem with conductive hearing

Question 17

How do we screen most newborns for hearing loss?

Answer 17

Otoacoustic emissions test

Question 18

How do we screen most newborns for hearing loss?

Answer 18

Otoacoustic emissions test

Question 19

What is producing sound in the otoacoustic emissions test?

Answer 19

-masilar membrane, driven by outer hair cells

Question 20

Why is the otoacoustic emissions (OAE) test used in newborn hearing test, if it only tests outer hair cells?

Answer 20

Very few congenital hearing loss syndromes leave the outer hair cells normal.

Question 21

What does cytomegalovirus cause in children (CMV)?

Answer 21

• hydrocephalus
• periventricular calcifications
• hearing loss

Question 22

What is a connexin 26 defect?

Answer 22

• leads to cochlear development disorder (childhood hearing loss)
• **no K+ in endolymph
• cochlear implant can help

Question 23

What is a connexin 26 defect?

Answer 23

• leads to cochlear development disorder (childhood hearing loss)
• **no K+ in endolymph
• cochlear implant can help

Question 24

What should patients with enlarged vestibular aqueduct syndrome avoid?

Answer 24

• contact sports

* will lead to faster hearing loss

Question 25

What causes bilateral acoustic neuromas?

Answer 25

-Neurofibromatosis 2

Question 26

All babies with bacterial meningitis need to be screened for ________ for a year after the infection.

Answer 26

Hearing loss

*labyrinthitis ossificans

Question 27

Acoustic trauma causes tearing of the ___________.

Answer 27

membranous labyrinth