Comparison of cervical vestibular evoked potentials evoked by air-conducted sound and bone-conducted vibration in vestibular Schwannoma patients

Abstract

Objective: The vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) is associated with otolithic afferents and can be used to evaluate the function of the saccule and utricle. In this study, we compared cervical VEMP evoked by stimulation with Air-conducted sound (ACS) and bone-conducted vibration (BCV) to the forehead and investigated whether BCV can be used as a substitute for ACS.

Methods: Data were obtained from 33 patients with vestibular schwannoma. Vestibular examinations were performed preoperatively. VEMP was obtained upon stimulation with ACS (ACS cVEMP) and BCV to the forehead using a minishaker (BCV cVEMP). Vestibular function was also analyzed using the caloric test and ocular VEMP (oVEMP) testing. oVEMP was measured using bone-conductive vibration to the forehead. The results of BCV cVEMP, ACS cVEMP, and oVEMP were compared by the caloric test.

Results: Rates of patients with abnormal ACS cVEMP, BCV cVEMP, oVEMP, and caloric test results were 78.8%, 75.8%, 78.8%, and 69.7%, respectively. BCV cVEMP did not correlate with ACS cVEMP, but correlated with oVEMP and caloric test results.

Conclusion: BCV cVEMP did not correlate with ACS cVEMP. Therefore, BCV cVEMP cannot be used as a substitute for ACS cVEMP.

Chinese abstract

目的：前庭诱发肌源性电位（VEMP）与耳石传入神经元有关, 可用于评估球囊和卵圆囊的功能。在这项研究中, 我们将空气传导声音（ACS）和骨传导振动（BCV）的刺激引起的颈部VEMP与前额进行了比较, 并研究了BCV是否可以用作ACS的替代。

方法：收集了33例前庭神经鞘瘤患者的资料。术前进行前庭检查。用ACS（ACS cVEMP）和用小振动筛的BCV（BCV cVEMP）刺激前额获得VEMP。还使用热量测试和眼睛VEMP（oVEMP）测试分析前庭功能。使用骨传导振动测量前额的oVEMP。通过热量测试比较BCV cVEMP、ACS cVEMP和oVEMP的结果。

结果：ACS cVEMP、BCV cVEMP、oVEMP和热量测试结果异常的患者比率分别为78.8％、75.8％、78.8％和69.7％。 BCV cVEMP与ACS cVEMP无关, 但与oVEMP和热量测试结果相关。

结论：BCV cVEMP与ACS cVEMP无关。因此, BCV cVEMP不能用作ACS cVEMP的替代。

Keywords:

• Otolith
• utriculus
• saccule
• vestibular
• vestibular cervical reflex

Acknowledgements

The authors are indebted to the medical editors of the Department of International Medical Communications of Tokyo Medical University for the editorial review of the English manuscript.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest associated with this study.