Role of cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential response in identifying vestibular dysfunction.
OBJECTIVE
To analyse cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential response parameters in normal volunteers and vertiginous patients.


METHODS
A prospective study of 50 normal subjects and 50 patients with vertigo was conducted at Chiang Mai University Hospital, Thailand. Cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential responses were measured using air-conducted, 500-Hz, tone-burst stimuli with subjects in a sitting position with their head turned toward the contralateral shoulder.


RESULTS
The mean ± standard deviation age and male:female ratio in the normal (44.0 ± 9.3 years; 12:38) and vertigo groups (44.7 ± 9.8 years; 17:33) were not significantly different. The prevalence of absent responses in the normal (14 per cent) and vertigo ears (46 per cent) differed significantly (p < 0.0001). Other cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential parameters (i.e. response threshold, P1 and N1 latency, P1–N1 interlatency and interamplitude, inter-ear difference in P1 threshold, and asymmetry ratio) showed no inter-group differences.


CONCLUSIONS
The absence of a cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential response is useful in the identification of vestibular dysfunction. However, patients should undergo a comprehensive battery of other vestibular tests to supplement their cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential response findings.
Department of Otolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Thailand.
S
S
Isaradisaikul
N
N
Navacharoen
C
C
Hanprasertpong
J
J
Kangsanarak
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014717:Vertigo / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015837:Vestibular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D058585:Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials; D014724:Vestibular Function Tests / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D055815:Young Adult