Value of the video head impulse test in assessing vestibular deficits following vestibular neuritis

To evaluate the performance of the video head impulse test (VHIT) in assessing vestibular deficit in vestibular neuritis. Test validation study was conducted in Tertiary referral center. Twenty-nine patients, referred for vestibular neuritis between October 2009 and March 2012, were included. We recorded age, gender, values of caloric deficit (caloric testing), and deficits in semicircular function (VHIT) at initial presentation and at the follow-up visit (1–3 months). Multivariate linear regression analysis was performed to determine variables associated with values of caloric testing at the follow-up visit. Diagnostic values of VHIT were compared with caloric testing data using the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve and subsequent statistical analysis. At the follow-up visit, complete recovery occurred in 31 % of cases according to caloric evaluation, and VHIT normalized in 51.8 %. Multivariate regression showed that a higher caloric deficit at the follow-up visit was associated with elevated age (p = 0.012) and high caloric deficit at initial presentation (p = 0.042). A lower caloric deficit was associated with normal VHIT results at the follow-up visit (p < 0.001). The ROC curve showed that specificity and sensitivity of VHIT were 100 % when the caloric deficit was respectively lower than 40 % or higher than 62.5 %. At the caloric testing value of 30 %, specificity was 100 %, sensitivity 68.84 %, positive predictive value 100 % and negative predictive value 62.5 %. VHIT is a fast, convenient and specific test to detect vestibular deficits in vestibular neuritis. However, VHIT lacks sensitivity by comparison with caloric testing, especially for moderate vestibular lesions.