The feasibility of SHIMP for judging subjective vertigo and recovery in patients with vestibular neuritis.

Purpose: We aimed to study the results of the head impulse paradigm (HIMP) and the suppression head impulse paradigm (SHIMP) in patients with acute vestibular neuritis (AVN) to compare dizziness handicap inventory (DHI) scores before and after treatment. We also wanted to investigate the correlation between the HIMP, SHIMP and DHI score and to analyze the factors that affect the recovery with AVN in the short term.

Methods: The HIMP, SHIMP, and DHI score were assessed in 20 patients with AVN before (T) and after treatment (T). We collected the following indicators: T, T-HIMP VOR gain; T, T-SHIMP VOR gain; the percentage of the anti-compensatory saccades of T-SHIMP and T-SHIMP on the affected side; T-DHI score, T-DHI score; and efficacy index (EI). The correlation between HIMP and SHIMP parameters with the DHI score and EI was analyzed, and the factors that affect the recovery of patients with AVN were assessed.

Results: T-SHIMP anti-compensatory saccades (%),T-SHIMP VOR gain, and T-SHIMP anti-compensatory saccades (%) were significantly correlated with the corresponding DHI score and EI (P < 0.05). T, T-HIMP VOR gain and T-SHIMP VOR gain had no correlation with the corresponding DHI score and EI (P > 0.05). T-SHIMP anti-compensatory saccades (%) significantly affect EI (P < 0.05).

Conclusion: Both HIMP and SHIMP can assess the current vestibular function and recovery of AVN patients, but SHIMP can more accurately reflect the degree of subjective vertigo. At the same time, T-SHIMP anti-compensatory saccades (%) can be used as a good index to evaluate the short-term recovery of AVN patients.