Polygraphic study of vestibular stimulation in epileptic patients

Abstract

Vertigo, vestibular function and the effect of labyrinthine stimulation on the EEG were studied in 29 epileptic patients. Vertigo has no distinguishing characteristics and the epileptic nature of this symptom can be only tentatively inferred from its chronological relationship with the other epileptic features. In a high percentage of epileptic subjects, especially those with focal seizures, abnormal vestibular responses can be observed. This finding may be ascribed to the existence of a common cerebral lesion responsible for both focal seizures and vestibular abnormalities, even though the data do not allow us to exclude the role played by antiepileptic treatment in modifying the vestibular response. Caloric labyrinthine stimulation in the method employed by us shows a limited activating effect on the EEG and clinical epileptic pattern. Even in the positive cases this method does not allow us to reach any precise anatomo-physiological conclusions.