[Air-conducted ocular vestibular-evoked myogenic potential in patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss]

To investigate the characteristics of air-conducted ocular vestibular-evoked myogenic potential(oVEMP) in patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL). So as to understanding the range and the degree of the vestibular system damage in patients with SSHL.

Thirty-five cases of unilateral SSHL were enrolled as the observing group from December in 2013 to December in 2014. 500 Hz air-conducted tone burst was employed as stimulation. Fifity-five healthy young subjects were recruited as the control group. The results were compared between the affected ears, the contralateral ears and the normal controls.

Thirty-five patients with SSHL, 31 of them in both ears lead to oVEMP Waveform, 4 sick ears did not elicit oVEMP waveform, extraction rate of 88%. 95 dBHL air-conducted get the latencies of P1 and N1, P1-N1 interval, peak-to-peak P1-N1 amplitude in healthy ear were (11.92 ± 0.85)ms; (17.07 ± 1.04)ms, (5.15 ± 0.69)ms, (5.44 ± 2.53) µv. 95 dBHL air-conducted get the latencies of P1 and N1, P1-N1 interval, peak-to-peak P1-N1 amplitude in sick ear were (12.16 ± 0.76) ms; (16.94 ± 2.57)ms, (5.16 ± 0.73)ms, (2.89 ± 1.66) v. The 55 cases (110 ears) were elicited P1-N1 complex typical, extraction rate was 100%. The threshold of oVEMP examination was (82.23 ± 2.92) dBHL, 95 dBHL air-conducted get the latencies of P1 and N1, P1-N1 interval, peak-to-peak P1-N1 amplitude in these healthy young people were (11.53 ± 0.80)ms, (16.61 ± 0.87) ms, (5.18 ± 1.04) ms, (5.96 ± 2.59) µv, there were no significant differences between the affected ears, the contralateral ears and the normal controls in the latencies P1 and N1, P1-N1 interval. The wave amplitude in SSHL were lower than the healthy ear and the healthy control group.

Through the detection of oVEMP in patients with SSHL,we observed that P1-N1 wave amplitude decreased, and it may be related to the damage of the utricle and vestibular nerve.