Vestibular evoked myogenic potential

Abstract

Introduction. Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials are neurophysiological method for examining of saccular function, the bottom of the vestibular nerve that in nervates the sacculus and central vestibular pathways. Those are inhibitory potentials of the sternocleido mastoid musclein response to ipsilateral acoustic stimulation of the sacculus. Parameters of vestibular evoked myogenic potential testing include threshold, latencies of p1 and n1 wave and interamplitude p13-n23, interaural difference of p13 and n23 latency and interaural amplitude difference ratio. The aim of this study was to compire parameters standardization of vestibular evoked myogenic potentials responses, latency p13 and n23 of waves, the amplitude of responses and interaural differences in the amplitude andto determinewhether there is a difference in values between the sexes. Material and methods. This research was meant to be a prospective study which included 30 normal audiovestibular volunteers of both sexes. The group consisted of 53.3% women and 46.7% men. The saccular function testing by vestibular evoked myogenic potentials was performed monoaurally using air-conductive 500 Hz tone burst auditory stimulation. Results. The average value of the p13 wave latency in healthy subjects of this study was 15.18 ms (±1.24) while the mean latency of n23 waves in the same subjects was 25.00 ms (±2.23). The average value of the amplitude of the p13-n23 waves was 80.28 (34. ±04) microvolts. Conclusion. The difference in the values of the basic parameters of vestibular evoked myogenic potential responses between men and women does not exist. No differences between the right and the left ear in the values of latency and amplitude were observed.