Skull Vibration-Induced Nystagmus Test—Volume II

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue is a continuation of our previous successful Special Issue, ‘Skull Vibration-Induced Nystagmus Test’, published in the MDPI journal Audiology Research in 2021 (33560 reads).

The skull vibration-induced nystagmus test (SVIN) has been commonly used since 1999 as a vestibular first line test in clinical practice to reveal vestibular asymmetry. Its clinical value has been underlined and developed in different peripheral vestibular pathologies by numerous groups in the world. It allows us to authenticate and identify peripheral (and, more seldom, central) pathologies and gives in most cases, the side of a lesion and unravel vestibular disorders as a robust bedside test. Its recent current design and insight in superior semicircular canal (SCC) dehiscence (SCD) and some third-mobile-window syndromes show that it acts as a bone-conducted Tullio phenomenon and it regularly shows a characteristic after-nystagmus in this clinical condition.

The stimulation of SCCs at 100 Hz and of otolith structures in animals at 100 Hz and higher frequencies has been well documented in animals and suggests a global vestibular test. In clinics, the contribution to SVIN components by SC Canals has been  well established by the association of SVIN results to targeted vestibular canal tests (Video Head Impulse Test (VHIT), Caloric tests). However, the contribution of utricular structures to SVIN components is less clinically documented by Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials (VEMPs) and needs to be addressed in further work.

The current consensus criteria for test positivity have allowed for important insights to break through in vestibular pathology, but these need to be complemented. The characteristics of the vibrators (frequency, amplitude) need to be clarified, as well as the protocols and procedures (location on the cranium or cervical region, frequencies and duration of the stimulus).

The aim of the current Special Issue is to showcase findings on the possible modification of SVIN responses following head tilt and pitch positions, as well as works or observations concerning a vibration-induced after-nystagmus in different third-mobile-window syndromes other than superior SC dehiscence. The latter aim is pursued in order to provide a consensual protocol and common criteria for positivity (to improve reproducibility) and establish a corner value for the slow phase velocity (as well as to synthesize the current knowledge on its physiological background) to realize its full value in clinical practice (including the exploration of common unilateral vestibular loss (UVL) pathologies such as vestibular neuritis (VN), Menière’s disease (MD), and Vestibular Schwannomas (VS), or less common pathologies, with controls after intratympanic gentamicin, surgery or cochlear implantation, or SCD).

A special chapter will be dedicated to discussing the value of cervical muscle stimulations over cranial vibrations and their clinical consequences regarding the possible concept of “cervical vertigo”.

We thank the authors contributing to this Special Issue, who will share their high levels of expertise in the field.

Dr. Georges Dumas
Prof. Dr. Sébastien Schmerber
Prof. Dr. Philippe P. Perrin
Guest Editors

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• skull vibrations
• nystagmus induced by vibrations
• SVIN criteria of validity
• optimal conditions for SVINT
• SVIN clinical interest
• SVIN physiological background