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Does spectacle use lead to vestibular suppression?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 October 2016

A Thakar
A Thakar*
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology and Head – Neck Surgery, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
*
Address for correspondence: Dr A Thakar, Department of Otolaryngology and Head – Neck Surgery, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi 110029, India Fax: 91 11 2658 8641 E-mail: drathakar@gmail.com
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Abstract

Background:

Laboratory experiments indicate that changes in retinal image size result in adaptive recalibration or suppression of the vestibulo-ocular reflex. Myopia correction with spectacles or contact lenses also leads to retinal image size changes, and may bring about similar vestibulo-ocular reflex alterations.

Methods:

A hypothesis-generating preliminary investigation was conducted. In this cross-sectional study, findings of electronystagmography including bithermal caloric testing were compared between 17 volunteer myopes using spectacles or contact lenses and 17 volunteer emmetropes (with no refractive error).

Results:

Bilateral hypoactive caloric responses were demonstrated in 6 of 11 spectacle users, in 1 of 6 contact lens users and in 1 of 17 emmetropes. Hypoactive caloric responses were significantly more likely in spectacle users than in emmetropes (p < 0.01; relative risk = 9.3).

Conclusion:

A significant proportion of myopes using spectacles have vestibulo-ocular reflex suppression, as demonstrated by the caloric test. This has implications for the interpretation of electronystagmography and videonystagmography results, and highlights spectacle use as a possible cause of vestibular impairment. Further corroboration of these findings is warranted, with more precise and direct vestibulo-ocular reflex tests such as rotational tests and the head impulse test.

Keywords

MyopiaCaloric TestsVestibulo-Ocular Reflex

Information

Type
Main Articles
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 130 , Issue 11 , November 2016 , pp. 1033 - 1038
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 2016 

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