BASIC AND CLINICAL ASPECTS OF VESTIBULAR EVOKED MYOGENIC POTENTIALS

Abstract

　Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs) are vestibular-dependent, short-latency muscle reflexes evoked by large air-conducted sound or bone-conducted vibrations. There are two kinds of VEMPs: ocular VEMPs (oVEMPs) recorded from extraocular muscles and cervical VEMPs (cVEMPs) recorded from the sternocleidmastoid muscles. The oVEMPs reflect the function of the utricle in the contralateral ear whereas the cVEMPs reflect the function of the saccule in the ipsilateral ear. Combinational use of the VEMPs with tests of semicircular canals such as the caloric test and the video head impulse test enables elaborate evaluation of the peripheral vestibular function. This review outlines the mechanism, methods, and clinical applications of the VEMPs.