Assessment of cervical and ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potentials in multiple sclerosis(MS) patients

Abstract

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is one of the most important chronic neurological disease affecting the central nervous system and is the leading cause of disability due to brainstem affiction. Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs) are short-latency muscle responses. Cervical VEMP (Cvemp) is a demonstration of vestibule-collic reflex, while ocular VEMP (oVEMP) which is a manifestation of vestibulo–ocular reflexes. The aim of this study was to assess cVEMP and oVEMP in MS patients with and without brainstem lesion(s) and comparing the findings with normal controls. Both latency and amplitude of cVEMP (p13-n23) and oVEMP (n10-p15) were recorded in10 healthy matched controls, 10 MS patients with BS lesion(s)and 10 MS patients without BS lesion(s). All patients underwent a complete audiological examination, clinical neurological evaluation and brain MRI scanning. The latency of P13-N23 and N10-P15 in MS participants with and without BS lesions were significantly prolonged compared to normal controls (p ≤ 0/05). Additionally latency of P13-N23 and N10-P15 in patients of MS with BS lesion(s) were significantly prolonged compared to patients without BS lesion(s) (p ≤ 0.05). No relationship was found between the clinical state and VEMP responses. No relationship was found between the radiological findings of the patient and VEMP responses except for the group of MS with BS affection. A good correlation was found between VEMP latencies and EDSS. Abnormality of cervical VEMP and ocular VEMP in patients of Multiple Sclerosis with brainstem lesion(s) are more frequent than in patients of Multiple Sclerosis without brainstem lesion(s) .