Electroencephalographic Spectral Power Characteristics of Ménière's Disease: A Pilot Study

This study investigates resting-state neural oscillatory features in patients with Menière's disease (MD).

Cross-sectional study.

Single tertiary care hospital.

Thirty-two MD patients and 29 healthy controls were enrolled. Clinical evaluations included symptom questionnaires, pure-tone audiometry, and vestibular function tests. EEG power across multiple brain regions and frequency bands was compared between groups, and clinical relevance was examined through correlation analyses.

MD patients demonstrated a significant increase in whole-brain average power spectral density (PSD) in the alpha band (P < .05). Regionally, theta-, alpha-, and beta-band PSDs were elevated in the prefrontal cortex, while gamma-band PSD was reduced in central and parietal areas. Correlation analyses revealed negative associations between altered PSD and balance performance, especially under challenging conditions. Additionally, prefrontal and frontal alpha-band PSD showed negative correlations with vestibular subdomain scores.

This study identified distinct spectral power alterations in MD patients and explored their clinical relevance. Our findings highlight the neurophysiological features of MD in specific regions and frequency bands, suggesting their potential role in disease severity and balance impairment.