Symposium : Past and future of vestibular function test
Caloric test
2019 Volume 78 Issue 4 Pages 288-294
Details
2019 Volume 78 Issue 4 Pages 288-294
The purpose of vestibular function testing is to objectively evaluate the patient's subjective imbalance, record measurements, topically diagnose balance disorders, and estimate the effects of treatment. The caloric response was first described by Robert Barany in 1906. His findings were immediately considered pivotal recognized and he received the Nobel Prize. The key observation for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize was made while he was irrigating out ear wax in a patient after, when? the patient complained that the water was the wrong temperature. Barany noticed that the eyes moved in different directions with the use of warm- and cold-water irrigation. This demonstrates the value of being observant.
This test assesses the degree to which the vestibular system is responsive, and how symmetric the responses are responsiveness of the vestibular system and the symmetry of responses between the left and right ears. Only the lateral semicircular canals are evaluated, and not the vertical canal or functions of the otolith. Although it is not perfect, the caloric test is the best available method to deduce the function of each ear independently.
The caloric test has been used worldwide for many years as a de-facto standard to evaluate the function of the lateral semicircular canal, together with the rotational stimulus test. This report describes the past and future of the caloric test.
