MENTAL ARITHMETIC DURING ELECTRONYSTAGMOGRAPHIC TESTING

Five-minute caloric irrigations at 42°C were carried out on each ear of 40 normal subjects, 20 of whom were instructed to accomplish a mathematical task during the stimulation, the other 20 of whom were instructed to relax during the test. Nystagmus slow-phase velocity was recorded, and the mean response for each group was calculated. The mean response from the counting group was significantly greater than that from the not-counting group. Comparisons of appropriate subgroups of data demonstrated that the difference between the mean responses to the second irrigation was particularly significant. Scrutiny of the individual records reveals considerable dysrhythmia and other evidence of suppression of response in the not-counting group, which account for the difference between the mean responses of the two groups. © 1969, SAGE Publications. All rights reserved.