Augmented ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potentials to air-conducted sound in large vestibular aqueduct syndrome

Ear Hear. 2012 Nov-Dec;33(6):768-71. doi: 10.1097/AUD.0b013e31825ce613.

Abstract

Objective: To demonstrate the value of recording air-conducted ocular Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials (oVEMP) in a patient with bilaterally enlarged vestibular aqueducts.

Design: Cervical VEMP and oVEMP were recorded from a patient presenting with bilateral hearing loss and imbalance, attributable to large vestibular aqueduct syndrome. The stimuli were air-conducted tone bursts at octave frequencies from 250 to 2000 Hz. Amplitudes and thresholds were measured and compared with the normal response range of 32 healthy control subjects.

Results: oVEMP reflexes demonstrated pathologically increased amplitudes and reduced thresholds for low-frequency tone bursts. Cervical VEMP amplitudes and thresholds were within normal limits for both ears across all frequencies of stimulation.

Conclusions: This study is the first to describe the augmentation of AC oVEMPs in an adult with large vestibular aqueduct syndrome.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acoustic Stimulation*
  • Adult
  • Female
  • Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / physiopathology*
  • Humans
  • Otolithic Membrane / physiopathology
  • Postural Balance / physiology
  • Reflex, Abnormal / physiology*
  • Sound Spectrography
  • Syndrome
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed
  • Vestibular Aqueduct / abnormalities
  • Vestibular Aqueduct / physiopathology
  • Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials / physiology*

Supplementary concepts

  • Deafness, Autosomal Recessive 4