Peripheral Vestibular System Involvement in Multiple Sclerosis and Associations with the Disease Severity.

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Ophthalmology
• Audiology

Background:

• Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease impacting balance, gait, and fall risk.
• Peripheral vestibular system dysfunction is a potential contributor to these MS-related deficits.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate peripheral vestibular system involvement in MS patients.
• To assess the association between vestibular function and MS disease severity (EDSS scores).

Main Methods:

• Video head impulse test (v-HIT), cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (c-VEMP), ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (o-VEMPs), and computerized dynamic posturography (CDP) were used.
• Thirty-five MS patients and 14 healthy controls were evaluated.
• Results were compared between groups, and associations with EDSS scores were analyzed.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in v-HIT or c-VEMP between MS patients and controls.
• Significantly lower N1-P1 amplitudes in o-VEMPs for MS patients compared to controls.
• No significant differences in Sensory Organization Test (SOT) results between groups.
• Negative correlations between EDSS scores and composite/somatosensory CDP scores in MS patients.
• EDSS score > 3 indicated abnormalities in balance integration.

Conclusions:

• Peripheral vestibular end-organ impact in MS is subtle, with o-VEMP amplitudes potentially affected early.
• v-HIT may not be a reliable tool for detecting brainstem pathologies in MS.
• An EDSS score cutoff of 3 suggests abnormalities in balance integration in MS patients.