Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials in Vestibular Migraine: Do They Help Differentiating From Menière's Disease?

OBJECTIVE

To investigate whether both cervical and ocular vestibular myogenic potentials (cVEMPs and oVEMPs) to air-conducted sound (ACS) and bone-conducted vibration (BCV) can help to differentiate vestibular migraine (VM) and Menière's disease (MD).

STUDY

DESIGN

Retrospective study.

SETTINGS: A tertiary referral center.

SUBJECTS AND

METHODS

Twenty-eight patients with VM, 28 patients with definite unilateral MD, and 28 age-matched controls were included. Cervical VEMPs to 500 Hz ACS (cVEMPs-air) and 500 Hz BCV (cVEMPs-bone), oVEMPs to 500 Hz ACS (oVEMPs-air) and 500 Hz BCV (oVEMPs-bone), and caloric tests were performed. Results of these vestibular function tests were compared between the groups.

RESULTS

The prevalence of abnormality was significantly higher in VM than in controls only for the caloric test (P < .05). Asymmetry ratios (ARs) for cVEMPs-air and oVEMPs-air were significantly larger in VM than in controls (P < .05). Between VM and MD, the prevalence of abnormality was significantly different only for oVEMPs-air. The ARs for oVEMPs-air and caloric test asymmetries were significantly smaller in VM than in MD (P < .05).

CONCLUSIONS

Among the vestibular function tests, oVEMPs-air may be most helpful for the differentiation of VM from MD as a group.