Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 25, 2026
A Bedside, Single Burr Hole Approach to Multimodality Monitoring in Severe Brain Injury
Published on: March 26, 2019
Electrophysiological monitoring of cochlear function as a non-invasive method to assess intracranial pressure
Laurent Sakka1, Aurélie Thalamy, Fabrice Giraudet
1Department of Neurosurgery, Clermont University, Clermont-Ferrand, France. lsakka@chu-clermontferrand.fr
Abstract:
The "cochlear" aqueduct is a narrow channel connecting the subarachnoid and intralabyrinthine spaces. Through this communication, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure variations are transmitted to the intralabyrinthine space and modify the impedance of the ear. Distortion-product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE) are sounds emitted by cochlear sensory cells in response to sonic stimulation. Cochlear microphonic potentials (CMP) express the electrophysiological activity of cochlear sensory cells. At 1 kHz, the phase of DPOAE and CMP varies according to the impedance of the ear and thus to intracranial pressure (ICP) variations. DPOAE and CMP have been shown to strictly follow ICP variations produced during infusion tests performed in the diagnosis of chronic hydrocephalus. DPOAE and CMP recordings appear to be valuable tools for monitoring ICP non-invasively.
