Introduction: Active cephalic auto-rotation is a rapid, easy, painless and comfort test, that can be done in children and evaluate the vestibulo-ocular reflex in the physiologic frequencies of head, used in the every day life (from one to four hertz). Study design: clinical retrospective not randomized. Aim: Evaluate patients with complaints of dizziness/vertigo through the active cephalic auto-rotation comparing symptoms with alterations found. Material and method: A group of 1281 patients with dizziness underwent the horizontal active cephalic auto-rotation test with fixed target, as a part of otoneurological evaluation to verify the alterations that showed up. Results: Ages rate from three to 93 years with average of 49,6 years, being 946 (73,8%) females and 335 (26,2%) males. The vertigo complaint was reported by 896 (69,9%) patients and dizziness by 385 (30,1%). The frequency answering rate to cephalic auto-rotation test ranged from 1,5 to 7,5Hz with average of 3,5Hz.The active cephalic auto-rotation test was normal in 937 (73,1%) and abnormal in 344 (26,9%) patients. The most frequent alterations were those having to do with the gain (increase - reduction) isolated or associated to alterations of phase and symmetry in 241 (19%) patients. The increase of gain isolated was verified in 92 (7,2%) patients. Conclusion: There was no relation between alterations in the active cephalic auto-rotation test and the complaints of dizziness and vertigo.
cephalic auto-rotation test; dizziness; vertigo
