Abnormal vestibular function

What it means

An abnormality of the functioning of the vestibular apparatus.

The vestibular apparatus is the nonauditory portion of the inner ear that mediates the subjective sensation of motion and spatial orientation of the head, adjusts muscular activity and body position to maintain posture, and stabilizes in space the fixation point of the eyes when the head moves, in order to provide a stable image upon the retina. The functioning of the vestibular system is often checked clinically by means of the caloric test, in which the head is tilted backward by about 60 degrees and either warm or cold water is introduced into the external auditory meatus on one side. The immediate results are usually vertigo, nausea, nystagmus, and twisting of the head and body.

Rare diseases that can present with this13

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category

Also called: Impaired vestibular function · Interictal vestibular dysfunction · Vestibular function defect