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Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials in term newborn infants with severe hyperbilirubinemia
Servet Ozkiraz1, Zeynel Gokmen, Ayse Ecevit
1Department of Pediatrics, Baskent University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey. sozkiraz@yahoo.com
Insights
Severe hyperbilirubinemia in newborns can delay vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMP) latencies, indicating potential effects on the vestibular system. This pilot study highlights a novel connection between jaundice and infant vestibular function.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal Medicine
- Neuroscience
- Audiology
Background:
- Severe hyperbilirubinemia is a common neonatal condition.
- The impact of severe hyperbilirubinemia on the vestibular system is not well understood.
- Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMP) are used to assess vestibular nerve and central pathway function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of severe hyperbilirubinemia on VEMP in term infants.
- To determine if VEMP latencies are altered in newborns with severe hyperbilirubinemia.
Main Methods:
- A prospective study comparing 17 term infants with severe hyperbilirubinemia to 17 healthy term infants.
- All infants underwent audiological evaluations including tympanometry and transient evoked otoacoustic emissions.
- VEMP testing was performed on all participants.
Main Results:
- All participants passed standard audiological evaluations.
- Biphasic VEMP waveforms were successfully recorded in all 34 infants.
- Significantly delayed p13 and n23 latencies were observed in the severe hyperbilirubinemia group (P < 0.05).
Conclusions:
- This is the first study to demonstrate that severe hyperbilirubinemia delays VEMP latencies.
- Severe hyperbilirubinemia may impact the vestibular nuclei or the inferior vestibular nerve and vestibulospinal tract.
- Further research is warranted to elucidate the relationship between hyperbilirubinemia and the vestibular system.
Background:
The aim of this study was to determine the effects of severe hyperbilirubinemia on vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMP).
Methods:
A prospective study was designed. Seventeen term infants who suffered from severe hyperbilirubinemia in the first 5 postnatal days of age were included in the study group. The control group consisted of 17 healthy term infants. Audiological evaluation was performed, including tympanometry and transient evoked otoacoustic emissions, and VEMP tests.
Results:
All newborns passed audiological evaluation. Biphasic waveforms of VEMP were obtained in all of the 34 infants who had been tested. Both latencies of p13 and n23 were significantly delayed in the severe hyperbilirubinemia group (P < 0.05).
Conclusion:
This pilot is the first study to show that severe hyperbilirubinemia causes delay in VEMP latencies. We suggest that severe hyperbilirubinemia might affect the vestibular nuclei or the integrity of the inferior vestibular nerve and vestibulospinal tract. Further studies need to explain the relation between hyperbilirubinemia and the vestibular system.
