Analisi automatica della risposta vestibolare mediante calcolatori di piccole dimensioni: applicazioni nelle prove roto-acceleratorie

The purpose of this work is to demonstrate that it is possible to make an automatic nystagmographic analysis with the small computers already being used at many E.N.T. Clinics to study evoked potentials. Twenty-two normal subjects with 0-10 dB hearing threshold underwent a rotatory acceleration. Recording was performed associating a traditional ENG with an AMPLAID MK6 computer able to analyze the electronystgmographic response. The study of the results obtained show that the program being tested proved quite efficient in recognizing nystagmus (low incidence of false positive and negatives in comparison to the evaluations made by 3 outside operators). Recognition of nystagmus made it possible for the computer to detect a series of quantitative parameters characterizing the nystagmus responses, thus improving the clinical picture. In agreement with the literature studying the individual parameters and their trends as a function of the moment of detection and intensity of the rotary or pendular stimulation further revealed that the best parameters, those which best reflect the characteristics of the stimulation are: average slow phase angular velocity and the sum of amplitudes (cumulative max). In conclusion the experiment showed that it is possible to quickly determine many quantitative nystagmus parameters using personal computers. This makes it possible to routinely use computerized analysis of nystagmus.