Conclusion: We suggest that 1/0.5 kHz FPA would be clinically useful in the diagnosis of Ménière's disease.
Objective: To determine whether clinically useful VEMP parameters could be identified using different tone burst stimuli for the diagnosis of Ménière's disease.
Subjects and methods: The Ménière's group included 24 affected ears from definite Ménière's disease and 26 affected ears from probable Ménière's disease. The control group included 20 normal ears. Using tone bursts of 0.5 and 1 kHz, two parameters were examined: 1) the frequency peak amplitude ratio (1/0.5 kHz FPA), where the peak amplitude was determined by the difference in amplitude between peak p13 and peak n23 ipsilaterally; and 2) the interaural amplitude difference (IAD) ratio, defined as the difference in amplitude between peaks p13 and n23 (p13-n23) in the right and left ears divided by the sum of p13-p23 in both ears.
Results: Data showed that the 1/0.5 kHz FPA ratios in the Ménière's group were significantly elevated compared with those of the control group (p < 0.001) and the recommendable cut-off value for the diagnosis of Ménière's symptoms using 1/0.5 kHz FPA was > 0.7. However, the IAD ratio did not show significant differences in either the 0.5 or 1 kHz stimulus conditions.