title: Assessment of otolith function using cervical and ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potentials in individuals with motion sickness.
abstract: The involvement of otolith organs in motion sickness has long been debated; however, equivocal findings exist in literature. The present study thus aimed at evaluating the otolith functioning in individuals with motion sickness. Cervical and ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potentials were recorded from 30 individuals with motion sickness, 30 professional drivers and 30 healthy individuals. The results revealed no significant difference in latencies and amplitudes between the groups (p>0.05). Nonetheless, thresholds were significantly elevated and inter-aural asymmetry ratio significantly higher in motion sickness susceptible group (p < 0.001) for both the potentials. All the individuals in the motion sickness group had high asymmetry ratio at least on one of the two potentials. Thus, reduced response and/or asymmetric otolithic function seem the likely reasons behind motion sickness susceptibility.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Audiology , All India Institute of Speech and Hearing , Karnataka , India.
authors.forename: Niraj Kumar
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Preeti
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pandey
authors.forename: Soumya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mahesh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D009041:Motion Sickness / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010037:Otolithic Membrane / Q000503:physiopathology*; D058585:Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential; motion sickness; ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potential; otolith