Subjective visual vertical test has low sensitivity for identifying Meniere disease

The subjective visual vertical (SVV) test has relatively low sensitivity for diagnosing Meniere disease, according to a study published in the July and August issue of the Iranian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology.

Hadi Behzad, Ph.D., from the Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Science in Tehran, Iran, and colleagues conducted a study on 53 patients with confirmed unilateral Meniere disease and a control group to examine use of the SVV test in static and dynamic models as well as the electrocochleography (ECochG) test for diagnosing Meniere disease.

The researchers found that the optimal cutoff point obtained for the tilt toward the lesion was 2.1 degrees of deviation, which had sensitivity of 0.698 and specificity of 0.717. This was identified as the best condition for differentiating individuals with Meniere disease from the healthy control group, but the levels of sensitivity and specificity were considered relatively low for an auditory test and unreliable in terms of diagnosis.

“Based on the current findings, the SVV test has relatively low sensitivity for diagnosing Meniere’s disease. Therefore, relying solely on its results to identify Meniere’s disease is not recommended,” the authors write. “Future studies should explore other avenues besides using ECochG and SVV tests together.”

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