Vestibular compensation in cerebellar stroke patients

Background and purposeThere is little evidence about the site where compensatory vestibular mechanisms in patients with cerebellar strokes take place. MethodsTo determine whether the location of a cerebellar lesion might be a crucial variable in vestibular compensation a sample of 22 patients with cerebellar stroke were tested for graviceptive function in the acute and chronic stage. ResultsOur statistical anatomical lesion analysis indicated that mainly lesions of the cerebellar hemispheres (lobule V, VI, VIIa) hinder vestibular compensation and might lead to an overcompensation. ConclusionsOvercompensation-induced dysfunction can be explained by the absence of cerebellar inhibitory signals.