Effect of Electrode Montage on 500-Hz Tone Burst Evoked Masseter Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potential

Abstract

Purpose: Masseter vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs) are short-latency myogenic responses obtained in response to electric or acoustic stimulation. It is a relatively newer test that helps assess the vestibulo-trigeminal pathway, thereby gaining more interest in brainstem pathologies like Parkinsonism, multiple sclerosis, and idiopathic random eye movement disorders. The purpose of the study was to compare the effect of zygomatic versus mandibular reference montage on the latency and amplitude of masseter VEMP (mVEMP) using a 500-Hz tone burst stimulus. Method: Twenty healthy participants in the age range of 18–29 years, with no complaints of vestibular signs and symptoms, were recruited for the study. VEMP was recorded for all the participants using 500-Hz tone burst stimuli in zygomatic electrode montage and mandibular electrode montage. mVEMP was recorded in both ipsilateral and contralateral modes. Results: The Wilcoxon signed-ranks test revealed no significant difference between the zygomatic and mandibular montage for both the latency and amplitude parameters ( p > .05). Conclusions: This study revealed no significant difference in p11 and n21 latencies as well as p11-n21 rectified amplitude between zygomatic and mandibular montage using a 500-Hz tone burst stimulus in young adults. Hence, utilizing a 500-Hz tone burst, mVEMP can be recorded in zygomatic and mandibular electrode montage.

Characteristics of ipsilateral, contralateral and bilateral masseter vestibular-evoked myogenic potential in healthy adults

“…Masseter vestibular-evoked myogenic potential does not show any difference in latency or amplitude parameters between zygomatic and mandibular electrode montages. 12…”

“…2 Although masseter vestibular-evoked myogenic potential recording was initiated a decade back, there has recently been renewed interest in using this, especially in patients with brainstem dysfunction. 3–12 Studies on masseter vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials have shown significant masseter vestibular-evoked myogenic potential abnormalities in patients with an idiopathic random eye movement disorder, 7 multiple sclerosis 3,4,13 and Parkinson's disease. 5…”

“…2 Although masseter vestibular-evoked myogenic potential recording was initiated a decade back, there has recently been renewed interest in using this, especially in patients with brainstem dysfunction. [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12] Studies on masseter vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials have shown significant masseter vestibular-evoked myogenic potential abnormalities in patients with an idiopathic random eye movement disorder, 7 multiple sclerosis 3,4,13 and Parkinson's disease. 5 Masseter vestibular-evoked myogenic potential has been reported to be better than cervical and ocular vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials in diagnosing vestibular lesions in individuals with various pathologies.…”

Exploring the Relationship Between Masseter and Cervical Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials in Young Adults with Normal Hearing

“…To understand the relationship between the parameters of mVEMP and cVEMP, Kendall's τ coefficient was performed which revealed a very weak (τb <0.1) to weak (τb <0. 19) correlation between all the parameters of cVEMP and mVEMP.…”

“…For recording mVEMPs, the zygomatic electrode montage was followed (Thirusangu et al 19 ) which involved placing a non-inverting electrode at the lower third of the masseter muscle, an inverting electrode at the zygomatic arch, and a common ground electrode on the forehead as given in Fig. 1.…”