Ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potentials to air conduction (AC oVEMP): useful in clinical practice?

Abstract

Cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potential (cVEMP) and ocular VEMP (oVEMP) stimuli can be used to measure otolith function using air (AC) and bone conducted (BC) stimuli. Cervical VEMPs reflect saccular function and can be recorded using air conduction (AC), whereas oVEMPs reflect probably predominantly utricular function. Air- and bone-conducted vibration can be used, because AC oVEMP methodology seems to be fast and simple in clinical practice to measure otolith function. In this study we discuss the advantages and problems of AC oVEMP stimulation. AC oVEMP can be easily and quickly obtained within a few seconds. N10 (first negative peak) and p15 (first positive peak) latencies may be used as parameters for clinical interpretation but amplitude fluctuations are relatively large. For daily clinical use of VEMP visualization in a normogram seems feasible. Especially the AC oVEMP methodology (100 dB nHL, tone burst 500 Hz) is fast and efficient in clinical practice to measure otolith function, predominantly utricular function.