Highlights
- •AVS requires a rapid and accurate evaluation to determine its etiology.
- •Truncal ataxia is shown as a sign that is easy to evaluate and very useful in the etiological diagnosis of AVS.
- •For those cases in which the patient cannot stand, assessing the incubitus truncal ataxiais a good substitute for truncal ataxia.
Abstract
Introduction and objectives
acute vestibular syndrome is a diagnostic challenge, requiring a rapid and precise
diagnosis to take therapeutic actions. Truncal ataxia, inability to sit still, and
Babinski flexor dysergy were evaluated. Material anf methods: 52 patients with central
pathology (stroke in aica and pica territory) and vestibular neuritis were prospectively
studied. MRI of the brain was used as the gold standard.
Results
A combination of grade 2–3 ataxia to differentiate patients with vestibular neuritis
from patients with stroke resulted in a 92% sensitivity (95% CI 79–100%), a 67% specificity
(95% CI 47–86%). Flexion asynergy had a 70% sensitivity (95% CI 47–92%), and an 88%
specificity (95% CI 69–100%). The inability to sit still correlated well with truncal
ataxia.
Conclusions
vestibulospinal signs are useful in the differential diagnosis of acute vestibular
syndromes, and the inability to sit is a good substitute for truncal ataxia when it
cannot be evaluated.
Keywords
To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
Purchase one-time access:
Academic & Personal: 24 hour online accessCorporate R&D Professionals: 24 hour online accessOne-time access price info
- For academic or personal research use, select 'Academic and Personal'
- For corporate R&D use, select 'Corporate R&D Professionals'
Subscribe:
Subscribe to Journal of the Neurological SciencesAlready a print subscriber? Claim online access
Already an online subscriber? Sign in
Register: Create an account
Institutional Access: Sign in to ScienceDirect
References
- Cerebellar infarction presenting isolated vertigo. Frequency and vascular topographical patterns.Neurology. 2006; 67: 1178-1183https://doi.org/10.1212/01.wnl.0000238500.02302.b4
- HINTS to diagnose stroke in the acute vestibular syndrome: three-step bedside oculomotor examination more sensitive than early MRI diffusion-weighted imaging.Stroke. 2009; 40: 3504-3510https://doi.org/10.1161/STROKEAHA.109.551234
- The diagnostic accuracy of truncal Ataxia and HINTS as cardinal signs for acute vestibular syndrome.Front. Neurol. 2016; 7: 125https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2016.00125
- Use of HINTS in the acute vestibular syndrome. An overview.Stroke Vasc. Neurol. 2018 Dec; 3: 190-196https://doi.org/10.1136/svn-2018-000160
- Diagnosing stroke in acute dizziness and vertigo: pitfalls and pearls.Stroke. 2018; 49: 788-795https://doi.org/10.1161/STROKEAHA.117.016979
- A new diagnostic approach to the adult patient with acute dizziness.J. Emerg. Med. 2018; 54: 469-483https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jemermed.2017.12.024
- Does my dizzy patient have a stroke? A systematic review of bedside diagnosis in acute vestibular syndrome.CMAJ. 2011; 183: E571-E592https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.100174
- Does my dizzy patient have a stroke? A systematic review of bedside diagnosis in acute vestibular syndrome.CMAJ. 2011; 183: E571-E592https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.100174
- HINTS outperforms ABCD2 to screen for stroke in acute continuous vertigo and dizziness.Acad. Emerg. Med. 2013; 20: 986-996https://doi.org/10.1111/acem.12223
- Diagnosing stroke in acute vertigo: the HINTS family of eye movement tests and the future of the “eye ECG”.Semin. Neurol. 2015; 35: 506-521https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0035-1564298
- Diagnostic accuracy of acute vestibular syndrome at the bedside in a stroke unit.J. Neurol. 2011; 258: 855-861https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-010-5853-4
- Vértigo periférico frente a vértigo central. Aplicación del protocolo HINTS.Rev. Neurol. 2014; 59: 349-353
- Usage of the HINTS exam and neuroimaging in the assessment of peripheral vertigo in the emergency department.J. Otolaryngol. Head Neck Surg. 2018; 47: 54https://doi.org/10.1186/s40463-018-0305-8
- Stroke. 1975; 6: 564-616
- Transient isolated brainstem symptoms preceding posterior circulation stroke: a population-based study.Lancet Neurol. 2013; 12: 65-71
- Can emergency physicians accurately rule out a central cause of Vertigo using the HINTS examination? A systematic review and meta-analysis.Acad. Emerg. Med. 2020; 00: 1-10
- Stroke risk stratification in acute dizziness presentations. A prospective imaging-based study.Neurology. 2015; 85: 1-9
- Consensus on Virtual assessment and triage of vestibular disorders: urgent versus expedited care.Cerebellum. 2021; 20: 4-8https://doi.org/10.1007/s12311-020-01178-8
- Clinician’s perspectives in using head impulse-nystagmus-test of skew (HINTS) for acute vestibular syndrome: UK experience.Stroke Vasc. Neurol. 2022; 7: 172-175https://doi.org/10.1136/svn-2021-001229
- History of Neuroscience: Joseph Babinski (1857–1932).(Available from:)
- Standing, a four-step bedside algorithm for differential diagnosis of acute vertigo in the emergency department.ACTA Otorhinolaryngol Ital. 2014; 34: 419-426
- Differential diagnosis of Vertigo in the emergency department: a prospective validation study of the STANDING algorithm.Front. Neurol. 2017; 8: 590https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2017.00590
- Vascular vertigo and dizziness: Diagnostic criteria.J Vestib Res. 2022; 32 (PMID: 35367974): 205-222https://doi.org/10.3233/VES-210169
- Central projections of portions of the vestibular ganglia innervating specific parts of the labyrinth in the Rhesus monkeys.Am. J. Anat. 1967; 120: 281-318https://doi.org/10.1002/aja.1001200205
- Manto M. Gruol D.L. Schmahmann J.D. Koibuchi N. Rossi F. Handbook of the Cerebellum and Cerebellar Disorders. Springer, 2013
- Topography of cerebellar deficits in humans.Cerebellum. 2012; 11: 336-351
- HINTS Bedside Exam: Efficacy in Improving Detection of Stroke in Patients Presenting to the ED for Dizziness.2015 (School of Physician Assistant Studies. Paper 526)
- Can bedside oculomotor (HINTS) testing differentiate central from peripheral causes of Vertigo?.Ann. Emerg. Med. 2014; 64: 265-268https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annemergmed.2014.01.010
Article info
Publication history
Published online: August 09, 2022
Accepted:
July 31,
2022
Received in revised form:
July 3,
2022
Received:
March 31,
2022
Identification
Copyright
© 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.