Age-Related Increase in Skull Vibration-Induced Nystagmus Slow-Phase Velocity in a Clinical Population with Normal vHIT and VEMP: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Analysis

/Objectives: Skull vibration-induced nystagmus (SVIN) is a reproducible marker of vestibular asymmetry, but its relationship with age in patients with normal conventional tests remains unclear. We evaluated whether age is associated with the presence of SVIN and with its slow-phase velocity (SVIN-SPV).

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Clinicians using SVIN should apply age-adjusted normative reference ranges rather than single cut-off values, as older age independently increases SVIN slow-phase velocity even in the absence of other vestibular pathology.

Age-related normative data for SVIN are critical to avoid over-diagnosing vestibular asymmetry in older adults, a population already at elevated risk of balance-related falls.

1. 01SVIN slow-phase velocity increases significantly with age even when vHIT and VEMP results are normal.
2. 02Retrospective cross-sectional design in a clinical population; confounders from subclinical vestibular changes cannot be excluded.
3. 03Findings challenge the use of a single age-independent cut-off for SVIN interpretation.
4. 04Age-stratified normative data for SVIN appear necessary for accurate clinical interpretation.
5. 05Results complement the companion case-series paper (040f041f) examining SVIN dissociation from other vestibular tests.

PMID

42776770

DOI

10.3390/audiolres16050128.

Journal

Audiology Research

Publication type

research_article

Evidence level

2b

Population

Clinical patients with normal vHIT and VEMP results undergoing SVIN testing across age groups

Intervention

Measurement of SVIN slow-phase velocity across age groups

Comparator

Younger age groups within the same clinical population