Abstract
To see whether hypertension of the cervical soft tissues participates in producing vertigo due to whiplash injury, we developed two types of equilibrium tests: equilibrium tests with anodic low-frequency pulse stimulation of the neck and equilibrium tests after fixing the neck with a collar. Disequilibrium due to whiplash injury was often aggravated by pulse stimulation, whereas it tended to decrease or disappear on fixing the neck with a collar. These findings indicate that hypertension of the cervical soft tissues is often an important factor in the development of vertigo due to whiplash injury.
To investigate the possible existence of hypothalamo-brain stem dysfunction in vertigo cases with whiplash injury, we carried out equilibrium tests with adrenaline loading. These tests showed that in most cases with vertigo, ataxia appeared or was intensified by adrenaline loading. We concluded that hypothalamo-brain stem dysfunction is a possible etiologic factor in the development of vertigo due to whiplash injury. From these observations it seemed that vertigo due to whiplash injury develops because abnormal centripetal impulses arising from the injured cervical soft tissues reach the hypothalamo-brain stem cause manifestation of dysfunction in these parts of the brain. Thus, marked ataxia of the eyes and body might result, which would lead to vertigo in these cases.
Therefore, treatment for this kind of vertigo should be directed to improve impaired function both (i) in the cervical region and (ii) in the hypothalamo-brain stem system.
