Brainstem Involvement In Multiple Sclerosis Research Articles

Cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials and video head impulse test studies: alternative methods for detecting brainstem involvement in multiple sclerosis

Background Brainstem involvement (BSI) has been reported as a major predictive factor for future disability in Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Aims/Objectives To evaluate whether Cervical Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials (cVEMPs) and Video Head Impulse Test (vHIT) can be used to detect demyelinating lesions in vestibular pathways in MS. Material and Methods Fifty three people with MS and 40 controls were evaluated with Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI), vHIT and cVEMP. Results The median value of DHI in MS group was significantly higher than controls (p<.001). According to vHIT results, while the results of horizontal canal vestibulo-ocular reflex gain in group with brain stem involvement (gBSI (+)) were significantly different from both controls and group without brain stem involvement (gBSI (−)) (p= .036 and .024, respectively), results of gBSI (−) were similar with controls (p= .858). When cVEMP results were examined, mean P1 wave latency in gBSI (+) was significantly longer than controls (p= .002), but difference between gBSI (−) and controls and gBSI (+) was not statistically significant (p= .104 and .279, respectively). Conclusions and Significance vHIT and cVEMP can be used in diagnosis and follow-up of people with MS without demyelinating brainstem lesions on MRI.

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BackgroundIn multiple sclerosis (MS), even in the presence of clinical brainstem symptoms, the brainstem does not always show gross lesions on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). However, MS may impair vestibular-evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) responses.Material and methodsThis study included 70 participants, 40 who were MS patients and 30 healthy adult volunteers as controls. All participants were subjected to history taking, otological examination, basic audiological evaluation, bedside examination of the dizzy patient, cervical VEMP (cVEMP), and ocular VEMP (oVEMP).ResultsOf the 40 MS patients, 37.5% had abnormal cVEMP and 67.5% had abnormal oVEMP. Some 23% of the 21 MS patients without brainstemlesions on MRI had abnormal cVEMP and oVEMP, including 69% of those who had vertigo. MS patients with brainstem lesions on MRI had significantly greater oVEMP latency than patients without similar MRI findings.ConclusionsMS patients showed dysfunction in the vestibulo-ocular and vestibulo-spinal reflexes. This dysfunction is reflected in impaired oVEMP and cVEMP respectively despite the absence of structural brainstem abnormalities. Thus, VEMP, especially oVEMP, can be used as an early indicator of brainstem involvement in MS before radiological signs appear on MRI.

Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potential in Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

Background: Involvement of the brainstem in multiple sclerosis [MS] has significant implications on the disease course and can be presented with different symptoms. There are many tests able to detect brain-stem involvement in MS with various degrees of success.Aim of the work: To study the changes in vestibular evoked myogenic potential [VEMP], in patients with MS, and to detect its sensitivity for detection of the brain-stem lesions previously diagnosed with magnetic resonance imaging [MRI] in MS patients.Patients and Methods: Sixty participants had been enrolled and divided into two groups: 30 healthy subjects [Control group] and 30 MS patients [Study group]. Both groups had been subjected to otological examinations, pure tone audiometry, acoustic impedance, cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential [cVEMP], ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potential [oVEMP] and MRI. Results: In MS group, oVEMP mean latencies of n1 and p1 and cVEMP mean p13 and n23 latencies were significantly prolonged. In addition, 14 MS patients [46.7%] had brainstem lesions as confirmed by MRI. Finally, oVEMP test had higher sensitivity than the cVEMP in prediction of brainstem lesions.Conclusion: oVEMP seems to be useful and more sensitive than cVEMP as an adjunct test in the evaluation of brain-stem dysfunction in MS patients.

A pilot study on the efficacy of transcranial direct current stimulation applied to the pharyngeal motor cortex for dysphagia associated with brainstem involvement in multiple sclerosis

Objective: we investigated the effect of anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) applied over the pharyngeal motor area in dysphagia associated with multiple sclerosis (MS). Methods: Eighteen MS patients with dysphagia associated with brainstem involvement were randomized to receive either “real” or “sham” tDCS. Primary outcome: The Penetration/Aspiration Scale (PAS). Secondary outcomes: changes in electromyographic (EMG) parameters and pharyngeal cortical motor evoked potentials (MEPs). Patients were evaluated at baseline (T0), at the end of 5-session cycle of tDCS stimulations (T1), after two (T2), and four (T3) weeks.Results: the PAS values were significantly lower in the active group than in “sham” group at T1, and at T3. Over the post-stimulation periods, PAS significantly improved only in the “real” group. As regards the secondary outcomes, we observed a statistically significant difference between the 2 groups only in the MEPs amplitude at T1. The comparison between baseline and each of the post-stimulation times showed significant differences only of the “real” group across all the secondary parameters.Conclusions: Our findings support a beneficial effect of anodal tDCS applied to the pharyngeal motor cortex in MS-associated dysphagia.Significance: Considering its safety and efficacy, tDCS may represent an important resource in MS-associated dysphagia.

Cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials in patients with multiple sclerosis: sensitive in detecting brainstem involvement?

Cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials (cVEMPs) are accepted to demonstrate the vestibulo-collic reflex. However, the brainstem pathway is still not fully understood. The aim of the study was to evaluate the contribution of cVEMPs to detection of brainstem involvement in multiple sclerosis (MS). Thirty patients fulfilling the criteria for definite MS were included in the study. All were newly diagnosed cases, admitted due to an attack with active lesions on MRI. Thirty-one age- and sex-matched healthy controls constituted the control group. The latencies of peaks p13 and n23 and peak-to-peak amplitude of p13-n23 were measured. Brainstem lesions on MRI were present in 13 of the patients (43.4%). Comparison of the overall results recorded from patients with the healthy controls did not reveal a statistically significant difference in any of the parameters studied (p > 0.05). A significant inter-side difference was not also present between groups (p > 0.05). When p13 and n23 latencies exceeding 2.5 standard deviations (SD) were taken into consideration, it was seen that there were seven patients (23.3%) with prolonged latencies mainly involving the p13 peak. Five of them had brainstem signs on examination and had brainstem lesions on MRI. In the other eight patients with abnormal MRI, normal results were recorded indicating that in only 38% of patients with brainstem lesions, cVEMPs were altered. Absence of a correlation between cVEMPs and brainstem clinical or MRI lesions defies their role in identifying lower brainstem involvement.

The vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMP) score: a promising tool for evaluation of brainstem involvement in multiple sclerosis.

Concerning the great importance of brainstem involvement in multiple sclerosis (MS), the aim of this study was to explore the role of the newly developed vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMP) score as a possible marker of brainstem involvement in MS patients. This was a prospective case-control study which included 100 MS patients divided into two groups (without and with clinical signs of brainstem involvement) and 50 healthy controls. Ocular VEMP (oVEMP) and cervical VEMP (cVEMP) measurements were performed in all participants and analyzed for latencies, conduction block and amplitude asymmetry ratio. Based on this the VEMP score was calculated and compared with Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), disease duration and magnetic resonance imaging data. Multiple sclerosis patients with clinical signs of brainstem involvement (group 2) had a statistically significant higher percentage of VEMP conduction blocks compared with patients without clinical signs of brainstem involvement (group 1) and healthy controls (P = 0.027 and P < 0.0001, respectively). Similarly, the VEMP score was significantly higher in group 2 compared with group 1 (P = 0.018) and correlated with EDSS and disease duration (P = 0.011 and P = 0.032, respectively). Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that the VEMP score has a statistically significant influence on the EDSS score (P < 0.001, R(2) = 0.239). Interpretation of the oVEMP and cVEMP results in the form of the VEMP score enables better evaluation of brainstem involvement than either of these evoked potentials alone and correlates well with disability.

P564: Evaluation of brainstem involvement in multiple sclerosis

P564: Evaluation of brainstem involvement in multiple sclerosis

Evaluation of Brainstem Involvement in Multiple Sclerosis

the aim of the present study was to determine the optimum method to detect brainstem lesions in patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). 72 patients with the diagnosis of relapsing-remitting MS were prospectively included. brainstem functional system score (bSfS) (part of the expanded disability status scale (edSS) evaluating brainstem symptomatology) was calculated. Magnetic resonance imaging (Mri) was performed on 1.5t and t1, t2, pd and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (flair) sequences were analyzed for presence of brainstem lesions. auditory evoked potentials (aep) and ocular and cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (oVeMp and cVeMp) were performed according to the standardized protocol. from 72 patients, 18 (25%) had clinical involvement of the brainstem. Mri showed brainstem involvement in 29 (40%) patients. of the neurophysiological tests, aep showed pathological result in 16 (22%) patients, oVeMp in 36 (50%) patients, cVeMp in 18 (25%) patients, and VeMp (combination of oVeMp and cVeMp) in 45 (63%) patients. VeMp detected brainstem lesions in higher percentage than clinical examination, Mri and aep, which was statistically significant (< 0.0001, 0.012 and < 0.0001, respectively). results of the present study have shown that VeMps are the optimal method to detect brainstem lesions in multiple sclerosis and that they detect them significantly better than clinical examination, aep or Mri.

Auditory evoked potentials and vestibular evoked myogenic potentials in evaluation of brainstem lesions in multiple sclerosis

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the role of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), auditory evoked potentials (AEP) and vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMP) in the evaluation of brainstem involvement in multiple sclerosis (MS).

Auditory evoked potentials and vestibular evoked myogenic potentials in evaluation of brainstem lesions in multiple sclerosis

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to determine the roles of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), auditory evoked potentials (AEP) and vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMP) in the evaluation of brainstem involvement in multiple sclerosis (MS). Patients and methodsAltogether 32 patients with the diagnosis of MS participated in the study. The following data was collected from all patients: age, gender, Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score, brainstem functional system score (BSFS) (part of the EDSS evaluating brainstem symptomatology), and involvement of the brainstem on the brain MRI. AEP and ocular VEMP (oVEMP) and cervical VEMP (cVEMP) were studied in all patients. ResultsBSFS, MRI, AEP, oVEMP and cVEMP involvement of the brainstem was evident in 9 (28.1%), 14 (43.8%), 7 (21.9%), 12 (37.5%) and 10 (31.0%) patients, respectively. None of the tests used showed statistically significant advantage in the detection of brainstem lesions. When combining oVEMP and cVEMP 18 (56.3%) patients showed brainstem involvement. This combination showed brainstem involvement in greater percentage than BSFS or AEP, with statistical significance (p=0.035 and p=0.007, respectively). ConclusionVEMP is a reliable method in detection of brainstem involvement in MS. It is comparable with MRI, but superior to clinical examination or AEP.

Evaluation of brainstem involvement in multiple sclerosis

Evidence suggests that brainstem involvement in multiple sclerosis (MS) is one of the major predictive factors for future disability. Recent work demonstrates that brainstem pathology is more frequent than can be depicted either clinically or with the use of MRI. Evoked potentials have been shown to reliably predict disability in MS patients. This review will consider the main clinical and neuroradiological aspects together with the role of different neurophysiological tests, as ancillary tools to conventional studies, in evaluation of brainstem pathology in MS patients. Specifically, the role of vestibular evoked myogenic potentials, trigeminal somatosensory evoked potentials, autonomic nervous system testing and sleep testing in MS, as correlates of brainstem damage, will be explored.

Ocular and cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials in multiple sclerosis patients

ObjectiveVestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs) are thought to provide useful information about brainstem functions, as the neural pathways of both ocular and cervical VEMPs pass through the brainstem. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical value of ocular and cervical VEMP tests in the evaluation of brainstem involvement in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and to assess their relation with clinical and cranial MRI findings. MethodsOcular and cervical VEMPs were recorded in 62 MS patients and 35 age and sex matched healthy volunteers. The latencies, amplitude asymmetry ratios of both VEMP responses and abnormality ratios (prolonged latencies and absent responses) were compared between the MS patients and the control group and among the groups of MS patients. ResultsoVEMP mean n1 and p1 latencies and cVEMP mean p13 latency were significantly prolonged in MS patients. Although the abnormality ratios of both VEMPs were higher in patients with brainstem clinical or MRI lesions, the correlation was not statistically significant. Both ocular and cervical VEMP latencies were significantly correlated with expanded disability status scale. ConclusionsAlthough there is no significant correlation with clinical or MRI findings, MS patients show high frequency of abnormality in VEMP tests, especially in oVEMP tests. SignificanceVEMP tests may be useful as an adjunct test in the evaluation of brainstem dysfunction in MS patients.