Daniel M Kaplan, Youval Slovik
Department of Otolaryngology- Head and Neck Surgery, Soroka University Medical Center and the Ben- Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel dankap@bgumail.bgu.ac.il
The head thrust test, an examination for chronic peripheral vestibular loss, can be performed at the bedside or in the office setting. First described by Halmagyi and Curthoys in 1988, the head thrust test is performed by turning the patient’s head to either side in the angular-horizontal plane to reveal the high-frequency properties of the peripheral vestibular system. This test correlates well with significant excitability reduction indicated via the electronystagmography caloric test. In this article, we illustrate the pathophysiologic basis of the head thrust test and demonstrate its usefulness and limitations in diagnosing the cause of dizziness.