title: Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune systemic disease. Most common autoimmune diseases are multisystem disorders that may also present with otological manifestations, and autoimmune inner ear disease accompanied by vestibular dysfunction. This study aimed to compare the vestibular function between RA patients and normal subjects using cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (cVEMPs).
  
  
  METHODS
  In this cross- sectional study, 25patients with RA (19 female and 6 male: mean (±SD) age, 40.00 (±7.92) years) and 20 healthy subjects (15 female and 5 male: mean (±SD) age, 35.35 (±10.48) years) underwent cVEMPs, using 500 Hz-tone bursts at 95 dB nHL intensity level. Data were analyzed using independent sample t-test through SPSS software v. 16.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean peak latency of p13 was significantly higher in RA patients (p<0.001). The mean peak latency of n23 was significantly higher in patients in the left ear (p=0.03). Vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) responses were present in all (100%) of the participants. There were no significant differences in mean peak to peak amplitude and amplitude ratio between the two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  According to the prolonged latency of VEMP responses in RA patients, lesions in the retrolabyrinthine, especially in the vestibulospinal tract are suspected.
authors.affiliation: MSc of Audiology, School of Rehabilitation, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. n-heydari@razi.tums.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Nahid
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Heydari
authors.affiliation: MSc of Audiology Academic Instructor, Department of Audiology, School of Rehabilitation, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. abolhassani@sina.tums.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Fahimeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hajiabolhassani
authors.affiliation: PhD Candidate of Audiology, Department of Audiology, School of Rehabilitation, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. jfatahi@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Jamileh
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fatahi
authors.affiliation: MD, Assistant Professor, Rheumatology Research Center, Imam Khomeini hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran. movaseghi@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Shafieh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Movaseghi
authors.affiliation: PhD of Biostatistics, Assistant Professor, Department of Biostatistics, School of Rehabilitation, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran. jalaeish@tums.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Shohreh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jalaie
keywords: Rheumatoid arthritis; Saccule; Sternocleidomastoid muscle; Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials