Tullio phenomenon, sound-induced vertigo, dizziness, nausea or eye movement (
nystagmus) was first described in 1929 by the Italian biologist Prof. Pietro Tullio. (1881–1941)
[Tullio, Pietro: Some experiments and considerations on experimental otology and phonetics: A lecture delivered at the meeting of the "Società dei cultori delle scienze ... e naturali" of Cagliari on 1st, July 1929: L. Cappelli 1929 ASIN: B0008B2T6Y] During his experiments on pigeons, Tullio discovered that by drilling tiny holes in the semicircular canals of his subjects, he could subsequently cause them balance problems when exposed to sound.
The cause is usually a
fistula in the middle or inner ear, allowing abnormal sound-synchronized pressure changes in the
balance organs.
Such an opening may be caused by a barotrauma (e.g. incurred when diving or flying), or may be a side effect of fenestration surgery, syphilis or
Lyme disease.
Patients with this disorder may also experience vertigo, imbalance and eye movement set off by changes in pressure, e.g. when
nose-blowing, swallowing or when lifting heavy objects.
Tullio phenomenon is also one of the common symptoms of
superior canal dehiscence syndrome (SCDS), first diagnosed in 1998 by Dr.
Lloyd B. Minor
Lloyd Brooks Minor M.D. (born 1957) is an American surgeon, researcher, educator, and academic administrator. Since December 2012, he has served as the Carl and Elizabeth Naumann Dean of Stanford University School of Medicine at Stanford Univers ...
,
Johns Hopkins University,
Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was d ...
, United States.
References
External links
"Doctor, I can hear my eyes"- W Albuquerque, A M Bronstein
Symptoms
Hearing
Auditory system
Neurology
Otology
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