Introduction:

The exploration of the vestibular system requires an accurate, systematic and complete evaluation of the vestibule-ocular response. Currently, systems only analyze sections subjectively defined by clinical specialists in nystagmus records, and time domain parameters are calculated, which are often affected by interference and noise in the scanning system during vestibular tests.

Objective:

To present a new system for the exploration and characterization of nystagmus obtained by electronistagmography.

Methods:

The records were acquired from rotary tests in a sample of 49 subjects, the temporal spectrum analysis of the induced nystagmus was introduced, which allowed defining the area of ​​greatest clinical interest for the analysis during the tests.

Results:

A new temporal spectrum indicator was obtained, detector of vestibular diseases, based on the comparison of the behavior of the spectral analysis of nystagmus in the central section of constant velocity phases and deceleration of clinical records. A good sensitivity (90.32%) and a good specificity (88.89%) of the new indicator were obtained, related to the determination of sick people in one or both labyrinths.

Conclusions:

The method and the new defined indicator, presented greater diagnostic capacity, than the usual quantitative analysis of the signals; they showed superior sensitivity and specificity. They allow conclusions to be reached in daily clinical practice, much faster than the assessment of the temporal parameters usually used in the analyzes, which present as a weakness, the wide range of normal values.

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