The Results of Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potential in the Patients with Central Vertigo

Hong, Seok Min; Cha, Chang Il; Byun, Jae Yong; Yeo, Seung Geun

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
: VEMP (Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potential) has a pathway that runs the lower brainstem including the inferior vestibular nerve, vestibular nucleus and vestibulospinal tract. Therefore, VEMP may also show abnormal findings in patients with lesions in the central nerve system of the VEMP pathway. In this study, we compared results of VEMP among the normal and central vertigo patients.
SUBJECTS AND METHOD
: We compared the results of VEMP conducted in 14 healthy volunteers and 11 patients who had been diagnosed by brain MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)as having central vertigo with a lesion at the brainstem. The results of VEMP and caloric test are.
RESULTS
: The incidence of abnormal VEMP was about 73%. Of the parameters of VEMP, prolonged p13 latency was shown in all patients with abnormal VEMP. The caloric test revealed abnormal findings in 46% of the patients and all patients with abnormal caloric response had lesions at the pons.
CONCLUSION
: The VEMP was the method used to evaluate downward pathway of the lower brainstem and the prolonged p13 latency was thought as the most valuable parameter in the evaluation of brainstem. The patients with central vertigo that had the lesion at the pons might show the abnormal calroic response because of hypoperfusion to vestibular organ.