| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3045636 | Clinical Neurophysiology | 2012 | 7 Pages |
ObjectivesTo clarify the origin and afferent pathways of short-latency ocular vestibular-evoked myogenic potential (oVEMP) in response to air-conducted sound (ACS), we evaluated cervical (cVEMP) and ocular VEMPs in patients with vestibular neuritis (VN).MethodsIn response to air-conducted tone burst, the oVEMP and cVEMP were measured in 60 healthy controls and in 41 patients with acute VN. The VN selectively involved the superior vestibular nerve (superior VN) in 30 patients, affected the inferior vestibular nerve only (inferior VN) in three and damaged both superior and inferior vestibular nerve branches in eight.ResultsAll 30 patients with superior VN presented normal cVEMPs, indicating preservation of the saccular receptors and their afferents in the inferior vestibular nerve. However, the oVEMP was abnormal in all patients with superior VN. By contrast, the patients with inferior VN showed normal oVEMP and abnormal cVEMP.ConclusionThese dissociations in the abnormalities of cVEMP and oVEMP in patients with VN selectively involving the superior or inferior vestibular nerve suggest that the origin of the vestibular nerve afferents of oVEMP differ from those of cVEMP.SignificanceThe oVEMP in response to ACS may be mediated by the superior vestibular nerve, probably due to an activation of the utricular receptors.
► To clarify the origin and afferent pathways of oVEMP in response to ACS, we evaluated cVEMP and oVEMP in patients with vestibular neuritis (VN). ► All superior VN patients showed normal cVEMPs and abnormal oVEMPs, and patients with inferior VN showed normal oVEMP and abnormal cVEMP. ► These findings support that oVEMP to ACS may be due to an activation of utricular receptors and mediated by the superior vestibular nerve.
