Specific Acute Losses of Vestibular Function in Four Patients following Unilateral Section of One or All Components of the Eighth Cranial Nerve

Abstract

Functional tests of the specific auricular organs were administered to four patients who had the common complaint of disabling vertigo and tinnitus. Diagnosis of unilateral inner ear disease or disorder was aided by a relative decrease in right- or left-ear response as recorded by certain techniques, while other methods demonstrated undisturbed function. Partial and complete VIIIth nerve sections completely eliminated the tinnitus and severe symptoms of vertigo in each patient, as well as greatly reduced his extremely high susceptibility to motion sickness, although it caused a short-term increase in instability in walking and standing. Specific auricular organ loss of function was related to the side and extent of the surgical interference. Possible clinical implications are discussed.