title: Selective changes of ocular vestibular myogenic potentials in Parkinson's disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials represent electrophysiological tools to measure vestibular reflex actions at different levels of the brainstem in Parkinson's disease.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate cervical and ocular vestibular myogenic potentials in Parkinsonian patients with mild disability.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 13 Parkinsonian patients and 13 age-matched healthy controls, cervical and ocular vestibular myogenic potentials were recorded after unilateral air-conducted tone bursts and bone-conducted stimuli delivered at the forehead or mastoids.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In contrast to relatively preserved cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials, ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potentials were significantly delayed and of reduced amplitude, particularly after impulsive stimulation in Parkinsonian patients. Levodopa had no significant effect on either type of response.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In mild to moderate Parkinson's disease, altered ocular vestibular myogenic potentials may indicate early functional involvement of the upper brainstem, in contrast to preserved lower brainstem function as reflected by normal cervical vestibular myogenic potentials.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Christian-Albrecht-University, Kiel, Germany; Department of Neurology, University Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; Prince of Wales Clinical School and Neuroscience Research Australia, University New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pötter-Nerger
authors.forename: Sendhil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Govender
authors.forename: Günther
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Deuschl
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Volkmann
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Colebatch
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000978:Antiparkinson Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001844:Bone Conduction / Q000502:physiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011930:Reaction Time; D058585:Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000978:Antiparkinson Agents
keywords: Parkinson's disease; bone-conducted vibration; cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials; l-dopa; ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potentials