The caloric test in electronystagmography.

A wealth of information concerning the caloric test has accumulated since the test was introduced more than eight decades ago. Both convective and nongravity-dependent forces on endolymph are believed to underlie the response at the end-organ level. Higher-order influences are equally important and make the test findings highly dependent on specific test conditions. Slow-component eye velocity is the most widely accepted index of vestibular response, although success using nystagmus beat frequency has also been reported. Both bithermal and monothermal calorization sequences have been studied. Standardization of technique and a consensus on methods of interpretation will be necessary for the determination of the optimal clinical caloric test.