Vestibular afferents population activated by various modes for eliciting ocular and cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials

摘要

This study compared cervical and ocular vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials (cVEMPs and oVEMPs) between air-conducted sound (ACS) and bone-conducted vibration (BCV) modes to determine whether these two stimulation modes activate the same population of primary vestibular afferents. Fifteen healthy subjects underwent cVEMP and oVEMP tests using ACS stimuli at 127 dB pe SPL and BCV stimuli at 128 dB force level. The characteristic parameters of cVEMPs and oVEMPs were compared between ACS and BCV modes. The mean p13 and n23 latencies of ACS-cVEMPs were significantly longer than those of BCV-cVEMPs. Likewise, the mean nI and pI latencies for ACS-oVEMPs were also significantly longer than those for BCV-oVEMPs. There was no significant difference in the mean amplitude of cVEMPs between the ACS and BCV modes. However, comparing the oVEMP amplitude, a relationship: (Amplitude of BCV-oVEMP) = 2.3 x (Amplitude of ACS-oVEMP) was demonstrated. In conclusion, the population of primary vestibular afferents activated by ACS and BCV stimuli is similar for cVEMPs. In contrast with oVEMPs, BCV mode activates more number of primary vestibular afferents than ACS mode does. In interpreting oVEMP and cVEMP results, stimulation mode should be checked first.