Cervical and Ocular Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials in Healthy Individuals: Normative Values for Bone Conduction at Different Frequencies.

PURPOSE: The objectives of this study were to establish normative values for the vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) test in adults and to evaluate test-retest reliability using bone-conducted stimuli at different frequencies.

METHOD: The present study comprised 35 individuals aged 18-40 years. Cervical VEMP and ocular VEMP tests were administered using tone-burst stimuli delivered at 60 dB nHL at frequencies of 250, 500, and 750 Hz with a Radioear B-71 bone vibrator. The initial evaluation was conducted by one clinician, and a subsequent evaluation was performed by a different clinician after a 1-week interval. Wave latencies, interlatencies, amplitudes, and amplitude asymmetry values were analyzed using a test-retest approach.

RESULTS

In cervical VEMP assessments using bone-conducted stimuli, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) values ranged from .23 to .78 at 250 Hz, from .40 to .75 at 500 Hz, and from .29 to .79 at 750 Hz. In ocular VEMP assessments using bone-conducted stimuli, ICC values across evaluation parameters ranged from .13 to .81 at 250 Hz, from .22 to .67 at 500 Hz, and from .24 to .81 at 750 Hz.

CONCLUSION

Cervical and ocular VEMP tests employing bone-conducted stimuli are considered reliable methods for evaluating the functional integrity of the vestibular system.