Vestibulo-ocular reflex involvement in childhood-onset multiple sclerosis

Abstract

Background: Multiple Sclerosis (MS), an autoimmune demyelinating disease of the central nervous system, is an important cause of disability in young adults. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the vestibular system with video Head Impulse Test (vHIT) and determine the impairment of the Vestibulo-ocular Reflex (VOR) in childhood-onset MS.

Methods: The study group, 20 persons with MS (pwMS) with onset before 18 years of age (6 M, 14 F; mean age 19.06 ± 1.66) and the control group, 20 healthy, age- and sex-matched individuals were retrieved from vHIT recordings. The mean age of MS onset in the study group was 14.60 ± 1.53 years. The VOR pathway was evaluated using vHIT.

Results: The median VOR gains of right anterior (1.00), left lateral (0.96) and left posterior (0.91) semicircular canals were significantly lower in the pwMS group than those of the healthy control group (1.05, 1.00, 0.98 respectively, p < 0.05). Four of pwMS (20%) had abnormal VOR gains. The pwMS with dizziness had significantly lower VOR gains (median 0.91) compared with pwMS without dizziness (median 1.01, p < 0.05).

Conclusion: This study demonstrates vestibulo-ocular system can be affected in patients with childhood-onset MS and suggests using vHIT especially in the follow-up of pwMS with dizziness.

Keywords: Childhood-onset; Involvement; Multiple sclerosis; Vestibulo-ocular reflex; Video head impulse test.