Vestibular click-evoked myogenic potentials: sensitivity and factors determining abnormality in patients with multiple sclerosis

• Published in: Multiple sclerosis Vol. 13; no. 2; pp. 193 - 198
• Main Authors: PATKO, T, SIMO, M, ARANYI, Z
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.03.2007; Arnold; Sage Publications Ltd
• Subjects: Adult; Age of Onset; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Degenerative and inherited degenerative diseases of the nervous system. Leukodystrophies. Prion diseases; Efferent Pathways - physiology; Evoked Potentials, Auditory; Female; Humans; Immunomodulators; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Multiple Sclerosis - complications; Multiple Sclerosis - pathology; Multiple Sclerosis - physiopathology; Multiple sclerosis and variants. Guillain barré syndrome and other inflammatory polyneuropathies. Leukoencephalitis; Neck Muscles - innervation; Neurology; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Reaction Time; Reflex - physiology; Saccule and Utricle - physiology; Sensitivity and Specificity; Spinal Cord - cytology; Spinal Cord - physiology; Vertigo - etiology; Vertigo - pathology; Vertigo - physiopathology; Vestibular Nuclei - cytology; Vestibular Nuclei - physiology; magnetic resonance imaging; multiple sclerosis; vestibular evoked myogenic potential; Amplitude; Human; Multiple sclerosis; Nervous system diseases; Healthy subject; Internal ear disease; Electrophysiology; Click; Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging; Inflammatory disease; Sensitivity; Evoked potential; Dysfunction; Central nervous system disease; ENT disease; Degenerative disease; Sign; Vestibular syndrome
• ISSN: 1352-4585; 1477-0970
• DOI: 10.1177/1352458506070940

Vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) assesses the sacculo-spinal pathway. The aim of our study was to examine sensitivity and factors determining abnormality of VEMP, indicative of brainstem dysfunction, in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Thirty healthy subjects and 30 MS patients were examined. All healthy subjects showed a normal biphasic response. Twelve of the 30 MS patients (40%) had abnormal recordings. There was a significant difference between MS patients and control subjects with respect to P13 latency (longer in the MS group) and P13-N23 amplitude (lower in the MS group). VEMP abnormalities were statistically significantly related to the presence of brainstem demyelinative lesions and a weaker correlation was found with disease duration. Clinical signs of vestibular dysfunction at any point during the course of the disease did not seem to affect the chances of obtaining abnormal VEMPs. Although the sensitivity of VEMP in detecting abnormality in MS patients is relatively low, its significance is evident in that it is the only electrophysiological method that is able to detect dysfunction in central vestibular pathways. Multiple Sclerosis 2007; 13: 193–198. http://msj.sagepub.com