"Vertigo" in Old People's Home and the Pathological Study of SHR Rats Suffering from "Vertigo"

Abstract

Questionnaires were sent to homes for the elderly in Shimane prefecture, inquiring about the incidence of vertigo, its characteristics, duration and associated symptoms. Otological examination of 20 patients revealed probable Meniere's disease in 10.
The medulla oblongata and temporal bones of 6 SHR rats with a kind of "vertigo" were examined. These SHR rats tilted their heads to one side, and when held, they circled around their tails. Their systolic blood pressures were 200-300 mmHg. In two rats, degenerating neurons which stained deeply with Luxol-Fast blue were observed in the reticular formation of the medulla oblongata. In the temporal bones of all 6 rats, the cochlear structures of the affected side were destroyed and replaced by fibrotic cells. Further study is needed to evaluate these pathological findings.