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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Neurol.
Sec. Neuro-Otology
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1476004
This article is part of the Research Topic Third Window Syndrome: Volume II View all 12 articles

Model of superior semicircular canal dehiscence: Asymmetrical vestibular dysfunction induces reversible balance impairment

Provisionally accepted
  • 1 Department of Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, United States
  • 2 Rutgers Brain Health Institute, New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Superior semicircular canal dehiscence (SSCD) is a vestibular-cochlear disorder in humans in which a pathological third mobile window of the otic capsule creates changes to the flow of sound pressure energy through the perilymph/endolymph. The primary symptoms include sound-induced dizziness/vertigo, inner ear conductive hearing loss, autophony, headaches, and visual problems. We have developed an animal model of this human condition in the Mongolian Gerbil that uses surgically created SSCD to induce the condition. A feature that is unique in this model is that spontaneous resurfacing of the dehiscence occurs via osteoneogenesis without a subsequent intervention. In this study, we completed our assessment of this model to include reversible asymmetrical vestibular impairments that interfere with balance. Methods: Adult Mongolian gerbils (N = 12) were trained to complete a balance beam task. They were also trained to perform a Rotarod task. After 10 days of training, preoperative ABR and c+VEMP testing was followed by a surgical fenestration of the left superior semicircular canal. Balance beam testing recommenced at postoperative day 6 and continued through postoperative day 15 at which point final ABR and c+VEMP testing was carried out. Results: Behavioral comparison of preoperative and postoperative performance show a significant decrease in Rotarod performance, increased rates of falling, and an increase in time to cross the balance beam. Impairments were the most significant at postoperative day 7 with a return towards preoperative performance by postoperative day 14. This behavioral impairment was correlated with residual impairments to auditory thresholds and vestibular myogenic amplitudes at postoperative day 14. Conclusion: These results confirm that aberrant asymmetric vestibular output in our model of SSCD results in reversible balance impairments. The level of these behavioral impairments is directly correlated with severity of the vestibular dysfunction as we have previously reported for peripheral ear physiology and cognition.

    Keywords: balance, Dizziness, Perilymph fistula, sound-induced dizziness, spatial disorientation, Superior semicircular canal dehiscence

    Received: 04 Aug 2024; Accepted: 20 Aug 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Hong, Wackym, Murphy, Peci, Kiel, Tucker, Carayannopoulos, Chandrasekar, Suresh, Utku, Yao and Mowery. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Todd M. Mowery, Department of Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, United States

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