Ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potentials in response to air-conducted sound and bone-conducted vibration in vestibular schwannoma.
OBJECTIVE
To clarify the origin and pathways of ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (oVEMPs) to air-conducted sound (ACS), we compared the results of oVEMPs with ACS, with oVEMPs with bone-conducted vibration (BCV), cervical VEMPs (cVEMPs) with ACS, and the caloric test in patients with unilateral vestibular schwannoma (VS).


METHODS
Retrospective review.


METHODS
Tertiary referral center.


METHODS
Forty-five patients with untreated unilateral VS.


METHODS
Each patient underwent vestibular tests, including oVEMPs to ACS, oVEMPs to BCV, cVEMPs to ACS, and caloric tests. The correlations among these tests were evaluated.


RESULTS
Of the 45 patients recruited, 28 patients (63%) showed reduced or absent oVEMPs to ACS solely on the affected side. There were no significant differences in abnormal response ratios among oVEMPs to ACS, oVEMPs to BCV, cVEMPs to ACS, or the caloric test. The results of oVEMPs to ACS had a significant correlation with those of oVEMPs to BCV and the caloric test (p < 0.05) but not with those of cVEMPs to ACS (p > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
These findings support the hypothesis that oVEMP in response to ACS are predominantly mediated by the superior vestibular nerve and probably reflect the function of the utricle.
Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
Makoto
M
Kinoshita
Shinichi
S
Iwasaki
Chisato
C
Fujimoto
Aki
A
Inoue
Naoya
N
Egami
Yasuhiro
Y
Chihara
Munetaka
M
Ushio
Tatsuya
T
Yamasoba
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000465:Algorithms; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D001844:Bone Conduction / Q000502:physiology*; D002150:Caloric Tests; D004424:Ear Canal / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009464:Neuroma, Acoustic / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012027:Reflex, Vestibulo-Ocular / Q000502:physiology; D058585:Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D014724:Vestibular Function Tests; D014732:Vibration