Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Caloric reflex test
Introduction
In medicine, the caloric reflex test is a test of the vestibulo-ocular reflex. It is used by audiologists and other trained professionals to validate a diagnosis of asymmetric function in the peripheral vestibular system. Calorics are usually a subtest of the electronystagmography (ENG) test battery.
Technique and results
Technique and results
It involves irrigating cold or warm water or air into the external auditory canal.
- If the water is cold (30oC) the eyes turn toward the ipsilateral ear, with horizontal nystagmus (quick horizontal eye movements) to the contralateral ear.[1][2]
- If the water is warm (44oC) the eyes turn toward the contralateral ear, with horizontal nystagmus to the ipsilateral ear.
- Absent reactive eye movement suggests vestibular weakness of the horizontal semicircular canal of the side being stimulated.
Mnemonic
Mnemonic
Mnemonics are common in the medical literature. One mnemonic used to remember the direction of nystamgus is COWS.[3]
COWS: Cold water = nystagmus to the Opposite side, Warm water = nystagmus to the Same side.
References
References
- ↑ Bardorf CM, Van Stavern GP. Nystagmus, Acquired. eMedicine.com. URL: http://www.emedicine.com/oph/topic339.htm. Accessed on: August 17, 2006.
- ↑ Narenthiran G. Neurosurgery Quiz. Annals of Neurosurgery. URL: http://www.annals-neurosurgery.org/quiz/nsq2/#a3. Accessed on: August 17, 2006.
- ↑ Webb C (1985). “COWS caloric test”. Ann Emerg Med. 14 (9): 938. PMID 4026002.
External links
External links
- Essentials of Human Physiology by Thomas M. Nosek. Section 8/8ch7/s8ch7_30.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]