Open AccessEffect of Cochlear Implantation on Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials and Wideband Acoustic Immittance
Author(s) -
Gabrielle R. Merchant,
Kyli M. Schulz,
Jessie N. Patterson,
Denis Fitzpatrick,
Kristen L. Janky
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
ear and hearing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.577
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1538-4667
pISSN - 0196-0202
DOI - 10.1097/aud.0000000000000831
Subject(s) - audiology , bone conduction , vestibular evoked myogenic potential , tympanometry , vestibular system , medicine , immittance , hearing loss , audiometry , electrical engineering , engineering
The objective of this study was to determine if absent air conduction stimuli vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) responses found in ears after cochlear implantation can be the result of alterations in peripheral auditory mechanics rather than vestibular loss. Peripheral mechanical changes were investigated by comparing the response rates of air and bone conduction VEMPs as well as by measuring and evaluating wideband acoustic immittance (WAI) responses in ears with cochlear implants and normal-hearing control ears. The hypothesis was that the presence of a cochlear implant can lead to an air-bone gap, causing absent air conduction stimuli VEMP responses, but present bone conduction vibration VEMP responses (indicating normal vestibular function), with changes in WAI as compared with ears with normal hearing. Further hypotheses were that subsets of ears with cochlear implants would (a) have present VEMP responses to both stimuli, indicating normal vestibular function and either normal or near-normal WAI, or (b) have absent VEMP responses to both stimuli, regardless of WAI, due to true vestibular loss.