Cochleovestibular afferent pathways of trapezius muscle responses to clicks in human

Brief intense clicks cause short-latency cervical muscles microcontractions which are supposed to be of vestibular origin. Averaging these microcontractions allows myogenic vestibular evoked potentials (MVEP) to be obtained. MVEP from the trapezius muscles were investigated in normal subjects, cochleovestibular nerve-damaged patients and patients with a vestibular or a cochlear lesion. Muscular responses were recorded on right and left trapezius by averaging from surface electrodes following right and left monaural 100 dB hearing level click stimulation. In normal subjects, responses to monaural stimuli were bilateral, of equal amplitude and latency in left and right trapezia. Normal response consisted of four consecutive waves, labelled p13, n23, p32 and n40 according to their polarity (p, positive; n, negative) and mean peak latency in msec. In total unilateral cochleovestibular damaged patients, auditory stimulation of the affected side gave no MVEP either ipsilateral or contralateral to the stimulation. In the case of selective cochlear lesion, stimulation of the affected side gave MVEP which was present on ipsilateral and contralateral trapezius muscles. The four successive waves were present with a normal latency; however, amplitude was lower than that obtained after stimulation of the healthy ear. In the case of selective vestibular lesion, the four waves of MVEP were again present with normal latency but with reduced amplitude. Responses were present on both the ipsilateral and contralateral trapezius muscle. It is concluded that normal MVEP recorded on the trapezius muscles are bilateral and consist of four waves, the amplitude of which could depend on the simultaneous stimulation of both cochlear and vestibular afferents. In the case of unilateral cochlear and/or vestibular impairments responses were present on both ipsilateral and contralateral trapezius muscles. Latencies had normal values but amplitudes were reduced. MEVP recorded on trapezius muscles were absent in the case of total cochleovestibular damage.