CHANGES IN VESTIBULAR SENSITIVITY IN MENIERE'S SYNDROME AND THEIR SIGNIFICANCE

It has been common ground with all observers that tests of vestibular function in cases of Meniere's syndrome are of no value because of the conflicting results. One patient will show hyperfunction and another will show hypofunction in the affected ear, while a third will show no difference between the two sides. The fact of these variations in function between individual patients cannot be gainsaid, but I submit that the deduction made from this fact, that vestibular tests are valueless in this condition, is fallacious. That function varies is surely evidence enough that the results mean something if only sufficient information is at hand to assess them. This paper will, I hope, show that such information is now available. THE QUANTITATIVE COLD CALORIC TEST In a recent communication 1 a method of performing the cold caloric test was described which conforms to clinical requirements in that it is not too elaborate