[Inferior vestibular nerve impairment in auditory neuropathy].

OBJECTIVE

To investigate if auditory neuropathy have inferior vestibular nerve (IVN) lesion and to explore the relation between AN and the IVN lesion by vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs).

METHODS

VEMPs were observed in 13 patients with auditory neuropathy. And the relation among the duration, hearing threshold of lower frequency and speech discrimination score with VEMPs were observed.

RESULTS

Fifty-four percent patients in auditory neuropathy had abnormal VEMPs. They took the form of lower amplitude and no response. The statistical analysis showed that the abnormality of VEMPs had no correlation with lower frequency hearing loss, the duration and speech discrimination score.

CONCLUSIONS

The IVN dysfunction may coexist with auditory neuropathy, having lesion in the IVN. However, there was no significant relation between the severity of AN and VEMPs, which meant that AN and inferior vestibular neuropathy had their independence to some extent.