title: Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials in patients with superior semicircular canal dehiscence.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the audiometric and cervical vestibular evoked muscle potential (cVEMP) outcomes of ears with superior canal dehiscence (SSCD) to outcomes from normal ears and the unaffected ears of unilateral SSCD patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective review of clinical testing outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tertiary care specialty teaching hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three subject groups were used: 21 ears of healthy subjects, ages 21 to 52 years; 58 affected SSCD ears in patients, ages 15 to 65 years; and 26 unaffected ears of unilateral SSCD patients, ages 15 to 65 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Results of pure-tone audiometry and cervical vestibular evoked muscle potential (cVEMP) testing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  SSCD ears differed from normal ears or unaffected ears of unilateral SSCD patients in 2 ways: 1) they had significantly larger air-bone gaps at 250 and 500 Hz, resulting in poorer air-conduction thresholds at those frequencies, and 2) their cVEMP thresholds at 500 Hz were significantly lower. When the cVEMP threshold was adjusted for the size of the air-bone gap on the audiogram, cVEMP thresholds were significantly lower for 250-, 500-, and 1,000-Hz tone bursts compared with the other subject groups. Logistic regression indicated that the probability of predicting SSCD from the cVEMP thresholds was significant. cVEMP tuning was unaffected by SSCD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Combining 2 features associated with SSCD, the presence of an air-bone gap and the lower cVEMP threshold, into one variable, an adjusted cVEMP threshold, better separated SSCD ears from normal or unaffected SSCD ears. A probability predictive function from logistic regression of the adjusted cVEMP may be clinically applicable.
authors: Department of Otology and Laryngology, Harvard Medical School, 243 Charles St., Boston, MA 02114, USA.
authors: Rupprecht
authors: R
authors: Milojcic
authors: John J
authors: JJ
authors: Guinan
authors: Steven D
authors: SD
authors: Rauch
authors: Barbara S
authors: BS
authors: Herrmann
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001299:Audiometry; D001844:Bone Conduction / Q000502:physiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007759:Labyrinth Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012665:Semicircular Canals / Q000473:pathology; D013701:Temporal Bone / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D058585:Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult