Relation between finger cold-induced vasodilation and rewarming speed after cold exposure.

Purpose: The risk for local cold injuries has been linked to poor cold-induced vasodilation (CIVD) during cold exposure and to poor rewarming after cold exposure. The purpose of this study is to establish the relation between CIVD and rewarming speed.

Methods: Twelve participants immersed one hand in ice water for 30 min to evoke CIVD and the other hand in ice water for 10 min to investigate the rewarming profile.

Cochlear hydrops analysis masking procedure results in patients with unilateral Ménière's disease.

Objective: To investigate the usefulness of the cochlear hydrops analysis masking procedure (CHAMP) as an additional diagnostic test in patients with definite unilateral Ménière's disease.

Study Design: Prospective validation study for a diagnostic test.

Setting: Tertiary referral center.

Asymmetric vestibular evoked myogenic potentials in unilateral Menière patients.

Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs) were measured in 22 unilateral Menière patients with monaural and binaural stimulation with 250 and 500 Hz tone bursts. For all measurement situations significantly lower VEMP amplitudes were on average measured at the affected side compared to the unaffected side. Unilateral Menière patients have, in contrast to normal subjects, asymmetric VEMPs, indicating a permanently affected vestibular (most likely otolith) system at the side of hearing loss.

The effect of changes in perilymphatic K+ on the vestibular evoked potential in the guinea pig.

To investigate the effect on the functioning of the vestibular system of a rupture of Reissner's membrane, artificial endolymph was injected in scala media of ten guinea pigs and vestibular evoked potentials (VsEPs), evoked by vertical acceleration pulses, were measured. Directly after injection of a sufficient volume to cause rupture, all ears showed a complete disappearance of VsEP, followed by partial recovery. To investigate the effect of perilymphatic potassium concentration on the vestibular sensory and neural structures, different concentrations of KCl were injected directly into the vestibule.

Acute endolymphatic hydrops has no direct effect on the vestibular evoked potential in the guinea pig.

To investigate the effect of an acute endolymphatic hydrops on the functioning of the vestibular system a hydrops was created by microinjection of artificial endolymph through the basilar membrane into scala media in 10 guinea pigs. To control for the effect of perforation of the basilar membrane, the same procedure was performed in 9 other guinea pigs, but without injection of endolymph. Contralateral ears served as control ears.