OBJECTIVETo discuss the characteristics of subjective visual gravity (subjective visual vertical/horizontal, SVV/SVH) and assess its clinical application for peripheral unilateral vestibular compensation.

METHODS69 cases of acute peripheral unilateral vestibular dysfunction patients (case group) accepted SVV/SVH, spontaneous nystagmus (SN), caloric test (CT) and other vestibular function tests. 49 healthy people (control group) accepted SVV/SVH only. SVV/SVH, SN and unilateral weakness (UW) were selected as for the observation indicators. The correlations between SVV/SVH, SN, UW and courses were investigated respectively, as well as the characteristic of SVV/SVH, SN in period of vestibular compensation.

RESULTSAmong case group SVV, SVH positive in 42 patients(60.9%) and 44 patients(63.8%), the absolute values of the skew angle were in the range between 2.1°-20.0°, 2.1°-22.2°. Skew angles of SVV/SVH in control were in the range between -1.5°-2.0° and -2.0°-1.6°, and had no statistical significance with case group(t=5.336 and 5.864, P<0.05). SN-positive 28 cases (40.6%), the range of intensities at 2.4°-17.1°; UW-positive 50 cases (72.5%). In case group, positive correlation between SVV and SVH(r=0.948, P=0.00), negatively correlated between SVV/SVH and SN respectively(r values were -0.720, -0.733, P values were 0.00), no correlation between the skew angle of SVV/SVH, strength of SN and UW value(r values were 0.191, 0.189, and 0.179, P>0.05), there was no correlation between the absolute value of SVV, SVH, SN, UW with the duration (rs values were -0.075, -0.065, -0.212, and 0.126, P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONSubjective visual gravity can be used not only to assess the range of unilateral peripheral vestibular dysfunction, but also help assess the static compensatory of otolithic, guidance and assessment of vestibular rehabilitation.