title: Effect of aging on saccular function.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Aging can cause loss of balance, which may lead to physical and psychological problems. As the role of the otolith organs in maintaining postural stability has been emphasized in recent years, the present study investigated the effect of aging on saccular function using cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (cVEMP).
  
  
  METHODS
  The participants were assigned into two groups; group one included 31 young adults with a mean age of 22.15 (range: 19-26 yr) and group two consisted of 31 old adults with a mean age of 69.76 years (range: 61-79 yr). All participants hearing sensitivity was normal with no history of balance problems. VEMP was recorded for all subjects using tone burst 500 Hz stimuli at the threshold level and 95 dB nHL intensity level through air-conduction stimulation via an insert receiver.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a significant difference in the cVEMP response threshold (p< 0.001), P1 wave latency (p<0.001), P1/N1 amplitude (p< 0.001), and asymmetry ratio of P1/N1 amplitude (p< 0.05) between the two groups. No significant difference was found between the left and right ears or in N1 wave latency between the two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  VEMP abnormalities observed in healthy older adults showed the sensitivity of this test in identifying early signs of vestibular dysfunction. VEMP is an easy-to-use test that requires a short time to be performed. Therefore, it can be used as a selective objective screening test to detect vestibular disorders.
authors: 1. Audiologist, MS, Department of Audiology, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Shahid Besheshti University of Medical Sciences, Iran. mehri.maleki.a@gmail.com.
authors: Mehri
authors: M
authors: Maleki
authors: 2. Associate Professor, Department of Basic Sciences in Rehabilitation, Rehabilitation Research Center, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. jafari.z@iums.ac.ir.
authors: Zahra
authors: Z
authors: Jafari
authors: 3. Audiologist, MS, Department of Audiology, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Shahid Besheshti University of Medical Sciences, Iran. homa_zarrinkoob@yahoo.com.
authors: Homa
authors: H
authors: Zarrinkoob
authors: 4. Associate Professor, Department of Basic Sciences in Rehabilitation, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Shahid Besheshti University of Medical Sciences, Iran. akbarzad@sbmu.ac.ir.
authors: Alireza
authors: A
authors: Akbarzadeh Baghban
keywords: Aging; Saccular function; Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials