Characteristic manifestation of ocular and cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials findings in severe obstructive sleep apnea patients

Abstract

Background: Studies of saccular and utricular function in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are rare. We noticed that some OSA patients also had positive results in vestibular function tests, and this inspired our interest in exploring the vestibular function patterns of OSA patients.

Objectives: To investigate otolithic organ function in severe OSA patients who lack vestibular symptoms and systemic disease.

Material and methods: 32 patients (64 ears) with severe OSA and 22 healthy controls (44 ears) were enrolled. The ocular and cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials (oVEMP and cVEMP) and the caloric test were recorded and analyzed.

Results: The response rates of oVEMP (73.4%) and cVEMP (82.8%) in patients with severe OSA were significantly lower than those in controls. In oVEMP, elevated thresholds (p = .002), decreased n1-p1 amplitudes (p < .001), prolonged n1 latencies (p < .001) were observed. In cVEMP, the elevation of thresholds (p < .001), decrease in p1-n1 amplitudes (p < .001), and n1-p2 amplitudes (p < .001), prolongation of p1 latencies (p = .003) were observed. No significant difference in the caloric test was found between the two groups.

Conclusions and significance: Disappearance or impairment of VEMPs could be observed in patients with severe OSA, and reflects different degrees of impairment in the utricle and saccule.

Keywords: Ocular vestibular-evoked myogenic potential (oVEMP); cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potential (cVEMP); obstructive sleep apnea; saccule; utricle; vestibular function.