Research Article - Otolaryngology Online Journal (2016) Volume 6, Issue 1

A New Application of Cervical Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potential

INTRODUCTION: Acoustic sensitivity of the human vestibular system has long been es-tablished and can be demonstrated by means of the cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential or cVEMPs. The objective of this cross-sectional study is to investigate the pos-sibility that the acoustic sensitivity of the sac-cule improves stapedial muscle reflex thresh-old.

MATERIAL&METHODS: Twenty healthy per-sons and twenty-five patients as having uni-lateral benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) investigated in our audiology depart-ment (Hamadan, Iran). The assessments con-sisted of pure-tone audiometry, tympa-nometry, stapedial muscle reflex testing, vid-eo-nystagmography, cVEMPs.

RESULTS: We compare findings among the three groups (the healthy, the affected and the unaffected ears of the patients with unilateral BPPV). The affected ears had delayed latencies of first waveform of the cVEMPs with normal ipsilateral stapedial muscle reflex threshold to 1000, 2000 and 4000 Hz, but delayed to 500HZ. The healthy and the unaffected ears had normal findings. Multiple comparisons of mean p13 and mean n23 latencies between three groups were significant (Pp13 = 0.037, Pn23 = 0.041, ANO-VA).

CONCLUSION: Acoustic sensitivity of the saccule improves stapedial muscle reflex threshold to low frequency. The new application of cVEMPs test is the prediction of the possibility of ipsilateral stapedial muscle reflex to 500 HZ.

Author(s): Seyede Faranak Emami, Farhad Farahani, Mohammad Reza Nikoo

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