Preliminary study on vestibular-evoked myogenic potential induced by bone-conducted stimuli.
OBJECTIVE
To study the relationship between vestibular-evoked myogenic potential evoked by air-conducted stimuli (A-VEMP) and those evoked by bone-conducted stimuli (B-VEMP).


METHODS
Prospective study.


METHODS
University Hospital.


METHODS
To determine the optimum stimulus conditions for B-VEMP, 40 ears of 20 healthy volunteers were used. To compare results of A-VEMP and B-VEMP, 60 ears of 30 healthy volunteers and 70 ears of 35 patients with unilateral vestibular disorder without conductive hearing loss were used.


METHODS
A-VEMP and B-VEMP were measured. Both examinations involved evaluation of the interaural ratio (IAR) of the p13-n23 peak-to-peak amplitude. To compare the relationship between A-VEMP and B-VEMP in healthy subjects and patients with unilateral vestibular disorder.


RESULTS
The optimum stimulus for B-VEMP seemed to be a tone-burst sound with 8-ms duration at 250 Hz. In all healthy subjects, both A-VEMP and B-VEMP could be recorded. The mean IAR of B-VEMP (0.5 +/- 21.0%) was not significantly different from that of A-VEMP (0.2 +/- 19.4%). In patients with unilateral vestibular disorder, B-VEMP could not be detected in 10 ears in which A-VEMP also could not be detected. The IAR of A-VEMP was strongly correlated with that of B-VEMP (correlation coefficient, 0.98).


CONCLUSIONS
The results of B-VEMP were almost the same as those for A-VEMP, at least, for patients without conductive hearing loss.
Miyamoto
Atsushi
A
Department of Otolaryngology, Hyogo College of Medicine, Nishinomiya, Japan. miya-oto@hyo-med.ac.jp
Seo
Toru
T
Node
Michiko
M
Hashimoto
Misako
M
Sakagami
Masafumi
M
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001844:Bone Conduction / Q000502:physiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011930:Reaction Time; D014717:Vertigo; D015837:Vestibular Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*