Nationwide Prevalence of Video Head Impulse Test Abnormality and its Risk Factors in South Korea.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the prevalence of and relevant information for video head impulse test (vHIT) abnormality in a large population. STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional design. SETTING: Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2021. METHODS: The sample was representative of the Korean population, with 2237 participants aged ≥40 years. A vHIT was performed to evaluate vestibular function. The vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) gain and the presence of reproducible catch-up saccades was assessed in a vHIT. Participants also completed questionnaires for demographics, socioeconomic status, and basic information regarding systemic diseases and dizziness and underwent hearing tests with automated pure-tone audiometry. RESULTS: The prevalence of vHIT abnormality was 22.5%, with unilateral (14.3%) being more common than bilateral (8.2%). The prevalence of vHIT abnormality increased significantly with age, with the highest rate observed in individuals aged >70 years (42.5%). Both hearing and VOR gain deteriorated with age, but the patterns of age-related progression were different. While hearing loss (HL) deteriorated gradually and progressively throughout adulthood, VOR gain deterioration was markedly evident after 70 years of age. CONCLUSION: Considering the high prevalence of vHIT abnormality, appropriate social and medical policies are needed to prevent associated injuries and improve patients' quality of life. The distinct age-related changes in HL and objective findings of vestibular dysfunction indicate the need for different approaches to address these social problems in aging countries.

Impact of Respiratory Phase during Pleural Puncture on Complications in CT-Guided Percutaneous Lung Biopsy.

Purpose: This study investigated whether the respiratory phase during pleural puncture in CT-guided percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy (PTNB) affects complications. Materials and Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of 477 lung biopsy CT scans performed during free breathing. The respiratory phases during pleural puncture were determined based on the table position of the targeted nodule using CT scans obtained during free breathing. We compared the rates of complications among the inspiratory, mid-, and expiratory respiratory phases. Logistic regression analysis was performed to control confounding factors associated with pneumothorax. Results: Among the 477 procedures, pleural puncture was performed during the expiratory phase in 227 (47.6%), during the mid-phase in 108 (22.6%), and during the inspiratory phase in 142 (29.8%). The incidence of pneumothorax was significantly lower in the expiratory puncture group (40/227, 17.6%; p = 0.035) and significantly higher in the mid-phase puncture group (31/108, 28.7%; p = 0.048). After controlling for confounding factors, expiratory-phase puncture was found to be an independent protective factor against pneumothorax (odds ratio = 0.571; 95% confidence interval = 0.360-0.906; p = 0.017). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that pleural puncture during the expiratory phase may reduce the risk of pneumothorax during image guided PTNB.

Feasibility of video-based real-time nystagmus tracking: a lightweight deep learning model approach using ocular object segmentation.

Background: Eye movement tests remain significantly underutilized in emergency departments and primary healthcare units, despite their superior diagnostic sensitivity compared to neuroimaging modalities for the differential diagnosis of acute vertigo. This underutilization may be attributed to a potential lack of awareness regarding these tests and the absence of appropriate tools for detecting nystagmus. This study aimed to develop a nystagmus measurement algorithm using a lightweight deep-learning model that recognizes the ocular regions. Method: The deep learning model was used to segment the eye regions, detect blinking, and determine the pupil center. The model was trained using images extracted from video clips of a clinical battery of eye movement tests and synthesized images reproducing real eye movement scenarios using virtual reality. Each eye image was annotated with segmentation masks of the sclera, iris, and pupil, with gaze vectors of the pupil center for eye tracking. We conducted a comprehensive evaluation of model performance and its execution speeds in comparison to various alternative models using metrics that are suitable for the tasks. Results: The mean Intersection over Union values of the segmentation model ranged from 0.90 to 0.97 for different classes (sclera, iris, and pupil) across types of images (synthetic vs. real-world images). Additionally, the mean absolute error for eye tracking was 0.595 for real-world data and the F1 score for blink detection was ≥ 0.95, which indicates our model is performing at a very high level of accuracy. Execution speed was also the most rapid for ocular object segmentation under the same hardware condition as compared to alternative models. The prediction for horizontal and vertical nystagmus in real eye movement video revealed high accuracy with a strong correlation between the observed and predicted values (r = 0.9949 for horizontal and r = 0.9950 for vertical; both p < 0.05). Conclusion: The potential of our model, which can automatically segment ocular regions and track nystagmus in real time from eye movement videos, holds significant promise for emergency settings or remote intervention within the field of neurotology.

Association between Chronic Kidney Disease and Chronic Rhinosinusitis: A Longitudinal Follow-Up Study Using a National Health Screening Cohort.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a leading cause of global mortality. While recent reports suggest potential connections between CKD and chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), further research is needed to elucidate the direct association between CKD and CRS. This study investigated the association between CKD and CRS using data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service Health Screening Cohort. Participants were recruited according to medical claim codes, and individuals with CKD were matched in a 1:4 ratio with the control group. Covariates, such as demographics, health-related data, and medical history were used. The incidence rates and hazard ratio of CRS were analyzed. A further analysis was performed based on the presence of nasal polyps. Among the 514,866 participants, 16,644 patients with CKD and 66,576 matched controls were included in the analysis. The CKD group demonstrated a higher incidence of CRS than the controls: 18.30 versus 13.10 per 10,000 person-years. The CKD group demonstrated a higher risk of CRS than the control group (1.28 adjusted hazard ratio). In additional analyses, the CKD group did not exhibit a statistically significant correlation for the development of CRS with nasal polyps. This study suggests that CKD is associated with an increased risk for CRS.

Clinical characteristics of persistent postural-perceptual dizziness and its visual subtype in Korean patients: A multicenter cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: Persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD) is a chronic functional vestibular disorder for which the Bárány Society has established diagnostic criteria. This nationwide multicenter study aims to investigate the clinical features of individuals with definite PPPD and clinical variant PPPD who do not fully meet the diagnostic criteria, with a particular focus on visual exaggeration. METHODS: Between September 2020 and September 2021, a total of 76 individuals with definite PPPD and 109 individuals with clinical variant PPPD who did not meet all three exacerbating factors outlined in Criterion B were recruited from 18 medical centers in South Korea. The study gathered information on demographic factors, clinical manifestations, balance scales, and personality assessments. RESULTS: Comparative analysis between groups with definite PPPD and clinical variant with visual exacerbation revealed no significant differences in sociodemographic characteristics, clinical course, dizziness impact, and specific precipitants. Only disease duration was significantly longer in definite PPPD compared with variant with visual exacerbation. However, the variant without visual exacerbation displayed significantly reduced rates of panic disorder, diminished space-motion discomfort, lesser impact of dizziness, and decreased prevalence of depression when compared with the definitive PPPD. CONCLUSION: This is the first comprehensive nationwide study examining clinical features of both definite PPPD patients and its clinical variants, considering visual exacerbating factors. Differences in dizziness and personality traits emerged between definite PPPD and its potential variant without visual issues. Our results highlight the possibility of a distinct clinical variant of PPPD influenced by visual dependency.

Atmospheric Humidity Underlies Irreproducibility of Formamidinium Lead Iodide Perovskites.

Metal halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are infamous for their batch-to-batch and lab-to-lab irreproducibility in terms of stability and performance. Reproducible fabrication of PSCs is a critical requirement for market viability and practical commercialization. PSC irreproducibility plagues all levels of the community; from institutional research laboratories, start-up companies, to large established corporations. In this work, the critical function of atmospheric humidity to regulate the crystallization and stabilization of formamidinium lead triiodide (FAPbI3) perovskites is unraveled. It is demonstrated that the humidity content during processing induces profound variations in perovskite stoichiometry, thermodynamic stability, and optoelectronic quality. Almost counterintuitively, it is shown that the presence of humidity is perhaps indispensable to reproduce phase-stable and efficient FAPbI3-based PSCs.

Effects of MgF2anti-reflection coating on optical losses in metal halide perovskite solar cells.

The importance of light management for perovskite solar cells (PSCs) has recently been emphasized because their power conversion efficiency approaches their theoretical thermodynamic limits. Among optical strategies, anti-reflection (AR) coating is the most widely used method to reduce reflectance loss and thus increase light-harvesting efficiency. Monolayer MgF2is a well-known AR material because of its optimal refractive index, simple fabrication process, and physical and chemical durabilities. Nevertheless, quantitative estimates of the improvement achieved by the MgF2AR layer are lacking. In this study, we conducted theoretical and experimental evaluations to assess the AR effect of MgF2on the performance of formamidinium lead-triiodide PSCs. A sinusoidal tendency to enhance the short-circuit current density (JSC) was observed depending on the thickness, which was attributed to the interference of the incident light. A transfer matrix method-based simulation was conducted to calculate the optical losses, demonstrating the critical impact of reflectance loss on theJSCimprovement. The predictedJSCs values, depending on the perovskite thickness and the incident angle, are also presented. The combined use of experimental and theoretical approaches offers notable advantages, including accurate interpretation of photocurrent generation, detailed optical analysis of the experimental results, and device performance predictions under unexplored conditions.

New Heteroleptic Germanium Precursors for GeO2 Thin Films by Atomic Layer Deposition.

This study describes the synthesis of 12 new germanium complexes containing ß-diketonate and/or N-alkoxy carboxamidate-type ligands as precursors for GeO2 through atomic layer deposition (ALD). A series of Ge(ß-diketonate)Cl complexes such as Ge(acac)Cl (1) and Ge(tmhd)Cl (2) were synthesized by using acetylacetone (acacH) and 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedione (tmhdH). N-Alkoxy carboxamidate-type ligands such as N-methoxypropanamide (mpaH), N-methoxy-2,2-dimethylpropanamide (mdpaH), N-ethoxy-2-methylpropanamide (empaH), N-ethoxy-2,2-dimethylpropanamide (edpaH), and N-methoxybenzamide (mbaH) were used to afford further substituted complexes Ge(acac)(mpa) (3), Ge(acac)(mdpa) (4), Ge(acac)(empa) (5), Ge(acac)(edpa) (6), Ge(acac)(mba) (7), Ge(tmhd)(mpa) (8), Ge(tmhd)(mdpa) (9), Ge(tmhd)(empa) (10), Ge(tmhd)(edpa) (11), and Ge(tmhd)(mba) (12), respectively. Thermogravimetric analysis curves, which mostly exhibited single-step weight losses, were used to determine the evaporation properties of complexes 1-12. Interestingly, liquid complex 2 has no residue at 198 °C and therefore exhibits excellent vaporization properties and high volatility. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies of 1 and 7 demonstrated that the complexes had monomeric molecular structures with germanium chelated by the oxygen atoms of one or two bidentate ligands, respectively. An ALD process was developed for the growth of GeO2 using Ge(tmhd)Cl (2) as a new precursor and H2O2 as an oxidant. This study demonstrates the achievement of self-limiting growth of GeO2 films by varying the duration of injection/purge, with an observed ALD window at deposition temperatures ranging from 300 to 350 °C. The saturated growth per cycle of the GeO2 film was determined as 0.27 Å/cycle at a deposition temperature of 300 °C. The deposited films were observed to be amorphous consisting of GeO2.

Risk for Esophageal Cancer Based on Lifestyle Factors-Smoking, Alcohol Consumption, and Body Mass Index: Insight from a South Korean Population Study in a Low-Incidence Area.

Esophageal cancer constitutes a global public health challenge. However, South Korean population-specific information on the association of lifestyle (smoking, alcohol consumption, and obesity status) with esophageal cancer risk is sparse. This nested case-control study analyzed the Korean national health screening cohort data (2002-2019) of 1114 patients with esophageal cancer and 4456 controls (1:4 propensity-score matched for sex, age, income, and residential region). Conditional and unconditional logistic regression analyses, after adjustment for multiple covariates, determined the effects of lifestyle factors on esophageal cancer risk. Smoking and alcohol consumption increased the esophageal cancer risk (adjusted odds ratio [95% confidence interval]: 1.37 [1.15-1.63] and 1.89 [1.60-2.23], respectively). Overweight (body mass index [BMI] ≥ 23 to <25 kg/m2), obese I (BMI ≥ 25 to <30 kg/m2), or obese II (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) categories had reduced odds of esophageal cancer (0.76 [0.62-0.92], 0.59 [0.48-0.72], and 0.47 [0.26-0.85], respectively). In the subgroup analyses, the association of incident esophageal cancer with smoking and alcohol consumption persisted, particularly in men or those aged ≥55 years, whereas higher BMI scores remained consistently associated with a reduced esophageal cancer likelihood across all age groups, in both sexes, and alcohol users or current smokers. Underweight current smokers exhibited a higher propensity for esophageal cancer. In conclusion, smoking and alcohol drinking may potentially increase the risk, whereas weight maintenance, with BMI ≥ 23 kg/m2, may potentially decrease the risk, for esophageal cancer in the South Korean population. Lifestyle modification in the specific subgroups may be a potential strategy for preventing esophageal cancer.

Deep learning-based electroencephalic diagnosis of tinnitus symptom.

Tinnitus is a neuropathological phenomenon caused by the recognition of external sound that does not actually exist. Existing diagnostic methods for tinnitus are rather subjective and complicated medical examination procedures. The present study aimed to diagnose tinnitus using deep learning analysis of electroencephalographic (EEG) signals while patients performed auditory cognitive tasks. We found that, during an active oddball task, patients with tinnitus could be identified with an area under the curve of 0.886 through a deep learning model (EEGNet) using EEG signals. Furthermore, using broadband (0.5 to 50 Hz) EEG signals, an analysis of the EEGNet convolutional kernel feature maps revealed that alpha activity might play a crucial role in identifying patients with tinnitus. A subsequent time-frequency analysis of the EEG signals indicated that the tinnitus group had significantly reduced pre-stimulus alpha activity compared with the healthy group. These differences were observed in both the active and passive oddball tasks. Only the target stimuli during the active oddball task yielded significantly higher evoked theta activity in the healthy group compared with the tinnitus group. Our findings suggest that task-relevant EEG features can be considered as a neural signature of tinnitus symptoms and support the feasibility of EEG-based deep-learning approach for the diagnosis of tinnitus.

Feasibility of Virtual Reality-Based Auditory Localization Training With Binaurally Recorded Auditory Stimuli for Patients With Single-Sided Deafness.

OBJECTIVES: To train participants to localize sound using virtual reality (VR) technology, appropriate auditory stimuli that contain accurate spatial cues are essential. The generic head-related transfer function that grounds the programmed spatial audio in VR does not reflect individual variation in monaural spatial cues, which is critical for auditory spatial perception in patients with single-sided deafness (SSD). As binaural difference cues are unavailable, auditory spatial perception is a typical problem in the SSD population and warrants intervention. This study assessed the applicability of binaurally recorded auditory stimuli in VR-based training for sound localization in SSD patients. METHODS: Sixteen subjects with SSD and 38 normal-hearing (NH) controls underwent VR-based training for sound localization and were assessed 3 weeks after completing training. The VR program incorporated prerecorded auditory stimuli created individually in the SSD group and over an anthropometric model in the NH group. RESULTS: Sound localization performance revealed significant improvements in both groups after training, with retained benefits lasting for an additional 3 weeks. Subjective improvements in spatial hearing were confirmed in the SSD group. CONCLUSION: By examining individuals with SSD and NH, VR-based training for sound localization that used binaurally recorded stimuli, measured individually, was found to be effective and beneficial. Furthermore, VR-based training does not require sophisticated instruments or setups. These. RESULTS: suggest that this technique represents a new therapeutic treatment for impaired sound localization.

Development of a transcriptome-based determination of innate immune suppressor (TDIS) assay as an in vitro test for immunotoxicity.

Immunotoxicity has been an important topic in toxicology since inadvertent exposures to xenobiotics were found to alter immune functions in humans. While rodent toxicity tests can reveal some levels of immunotoxicity, alternative methods must be developed to identify the detailed mechanisms. In this study, a method of in vitro prediction of innate immune suppression by substances was developed using a genomics approach. The primary selection of immune suppressors was based on their ability to downregulate MCP-1, CCL3, TNF, IL-8, and IL-12p40 expression levels in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated THP-1 cells. Among 11 substances classified as potent immune suppressors, six including dexamethasone, tacrolimus, tofacitinib, prednisolone, sodium lauryl sulfate, and benzoic acid were used to create a dataset by transcriptomics of chemical-treated THP-1 cells using bulk RNA sequencing. We selected genes that were significantly upregulated by suppressor treatment while filtering out genes also upregulated in LPS-treated THP-1 cells. We identified a 226-gene immunosuppressive gene set (ISG). Innate immune suppressor signature scores were calculated as the median expression of the ISG. In a validation dataset, the signature score predicted acyclovir, cyclosporine, and mercuric chloride as immune suppressors, while selecting genistein as a non-immune suppressor. Although more dataset integration is needed in the future, our results demonstrated the possibility and utility of a novel genomics-based approach, the transcriptome-based determination of innate immune suppressor (TDIS) assay, to evaluate innate immune suppression by different substances. This provides insight into the development of future alternative testing methods because it reflects a comprehensive genetic signature derived from multiple substances rather than one cytokine.

Feasibility of Virtual Reality-Based Auditory Localization Training With Binaurally Recorded Auditory Stimuli for Patients With Single-Sided Deafness

Objectives@#. To train participants to localize sound using virtual reality (VR) technology, appropriate auditory stimuli that contain accurate spatial cues are essential. The generic head-related transfer function that grounds the programmed spatial audio in VR does not reflect individual variation in monaural spatial cues, which is critical for auditory spatial perception in patients with single-sided deafness (SSD). As binaural difference cues are unavailable, auditory spatial perception is a typical problem in the SSD population and warrants intervention. This study assessed the applicability of binaurally recorded auditory stimuli in VR-based training for sound localization in SSD patients. @*Methods@#. Sixteen subjects with SSD and 38 normal-hearing (NH) controls underwent VR-based training for sound localization and were assessed 3 weeks after completing training. The VR program incorporated prerecorded auditory stimuli created individually in the SSD group and over an anthropometric model in the NH group. @*Results@#. Sound localization performance revealed significant improvements in both groups after training, with retained benefits lasting for an additional 3 weeks. Subjective improvements in spatial hearing were confirmed in the SSD group. @*Conclusion@#. By examining individuals with SSD and NH, VR-based training for sound localization that used binaurally recorded stimuli, measured individually, was found to be effective and beneficial. Furthermore, VR-based training does not require sophisticated instruments or setups. These results suggest that this technique represents a new therapeutic treatment for impaired sound localization.

Neurobiological Signatures of Auditory False Perception and Phantom Perception as a Consequence of Sensory Prediction Errors.

In this study, we hypothesized that top-down sensory prediction error due to peripheral hearing loss might influence sensorimotor integration using the efference copy (EC) signals as functional connections between auditory and motor brain areas. Using neurophysiological methods, we demonstrated that the auditory responses to self-generated sound were not suppressed in a group of patients with tinnitus accompanied by significant hearing impairment and in a schizophrenia group. However, the response was attenuated in a group with tinnitus accompanied by mild hearing impairment, similar to a healthy control group. The bias of attentional networks to self-generated sound was also observed in the subjects with tinnitus with significant hearing impairment compared to those with mild hearing impairment and healthy subjects, but it did not reach the notable disintegration found in those in the schizophrenia group. Even though the present study had significant constraints in that we did not include hearing loss subjects without tinnitus, these results might suggest that auditory deafferentation (hearing loss) may influence sensorimotor integration process using EC signals. However, the impaired sensorimotor integration in subjects with tinnitus with significant hearing impairment may have resulted from aberrant auditory signals due to sensory loss, not fundamental deficits in the reafference system, as the auditory attention network to self-generated sound is relatively well preserved in these subjects.

A Case of Spontaneous Hemothorax with a Ruptured Variceal Phrenic Vein.

Spontaneous hemothorax is rare, with limited data available on its etiology and treatment. We report a case of massive spontaneous hemothorax with a ruptured variceal phrenic vein during pregnancy, likely a complication of the Kasai procedure. Despite closed thoracostomy, the patient's symptoms and imaging findings did not improve. Emergent open thoracotomy and bleeding control were performed.

Thyroid Diseases and Chronic Rhinosinusitis: A Nested Case-Control Study Using a National Health Screening Cohort.

This study aimed to investigate the association between thyroid diseases and chronic sinusitis (CRS) in a matched cohort in a study conducted within the Korean National Health Insurance Service-Health Screening Cohort (2002−2015). A total of 6024 patients with CRS were 1:4-matched for age, sex, household income, and region of residence with 24,096 control participants. Effects of a previous history of thyroid disease, including hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, thyroiditis, autoimmune thyroiditis, and Graves' disease, were investigated using conditional logistic regression. Subgroup analyses were performed in regard to the presence of nasal polyposis. A history of hypothyroidism (2.8% vs. 1.8%), hyperthyroidism (2.0% vs. 1.5%), thyroiditis (1.1% vs. 0.8%), autoimmune thyroiditis (0.4% vs. 0.3%), and Graves' disease (0.3% vs. 0.2%) was not more prevalent in the CRS group than in the control group according to univariate analysis (all p > 0.05). Hypothyroidism was associated with CRS in the multivariate-adjusted model (odds ratio [OR] 1.25, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.00−1.57). In the subgroup analyses, thyroid diseases were not statistically significantly associated with CRS after being classified according to the presence or absence of nasal polyps. Additional studies are required to elucidate the relationship between thyroid diseases and CRS, as this may aid in screening and clinical decision making.

Loss of Proximal Tubular Sirtuin 6 Aggravates Unilateral Ureteral Obstruction-Induced Tubulointerstitial Inflammation and Fibrosis by Regulation of ß-Catenin Acetylation.

Renal fibrosis is a significant pathologic change associated with progressive kidney disease. Sirt6 is an NAD+-dependent deacetylase and mono-ADP ribosyltransferase known to play diverse roles in the processes attendant to aging, metabolism, and carcinogenesis. However, the role of proximal tubule-specific Sirt6 in renal fibrosis remains elusive. This study investigates the effect of proximal tubule-specific Sirt6 knockdown on unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO)-induced renal tubulointerstitial inflammation and fibrosis. Renal fibrosis in wild type and PT-Sirt6KO (Sirt6flox/flox; Ggt1-Cre+) mice was induced by UUO surgery. After seven days, histologic examination and Western blot analysis were performed to examine extracellular matrix (ECM) protein expression. We evaluated inflammatory cytokine and cell adhesion molecule expression after ureteral obstruction. The therapeutic effect of Sirt6 activator MDL-800 on UUO-induced tubulointerstitial inflammation and fibrosis was assessed. The loss of Sirt6 in the proximal tubules aggravated UUO-induced tubular injury, ECM deposition, F4/80 positive macrophage infiltration, and proinflammatory cytokine and chemokine expression. Sirt6 activator MDL-800 mitigated UUO-induced renal tubulointerstitial inflammation and fibrosis. In an in vitro experiment, MDL-800 decreases the transforming growth factor (TGF)-ß1-induced activation of myofibroblast and ECM production by regulating Sirt6-dependent ß-catenin acetylation and the TGF-ß1/Smad signaling pathway. In conclusion, proximal tubule Sirt6 may play an essential role in UUO-induced tubulointerstitial inflammation and fibrosis by regulating Sirt6-dependent ß-catenin acetylation and ECM protein promoter transcription.

Acute Alcohol Intake Impairs the Velocity Storage Mechanism and Affects Both High-Frequency Vestibular-Ocular Reflex and Postural Control.

BACKGROUND: Acute alcohol intake is known to cause gait instability, dizziness, and lack of psychomotor coordination. Previous studies demonstrated the positive effects of alcohol on the oculomotor system and the low-frequency vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR). However, the low-frequency VORs is a rather un-physiologic stimulation, and the reported explanations regarding the relations between the alcohol-induced VOR changes and posture control are inconsistent. OBJECTIVE: The present study evaluates how acute alcohol intake affects more physiologic mid- to high-frequency VORs, postural control, and elucidates the connection between the VOR and posture control after alcohol intake. METHODS: A total of 31 healthy volunteers participated. Each participant received calculated amounts of alcohol drinks according to their body weight and genders with the targeted blood alcohol content (BAC) level of 0.05% using the Widmark formula. A vestibular test battery composed of posturography, video head impulse test, rotatory chair test (slow harmonic acceleration (SHA) and step velocity), and subjective visual vertical/horizontal tests (SVV/SVH) were conducted twice in alcohol-free condition (no alcohol intake within 24 h) and acute alcohol condition. RESULTS: Acute alcohol intake decreased stability scores in all NS/EO (normal stability-eyes open), NS/EC (normal stability- eyes closed), PS/EO (perturbed stability-eyes open), and PS/EC (perturbed stability-eyes closed) conditions. High-frequency VOR gains decreased, but mid-frequency VOR gains were not significantly affected by alcohol intake. In addition, time constants were reduced significantly after alcohol ingestion in both clockwise and counter-clockwise rotation. Phase lead in SHA test and SVV/SVH was not affected by alcohol intake. CONCLUSION: Acute alcohol intake affected postural stability, high-acceleration head impulses, and the velocity storage mechanism.