Masseter Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials in Individuals with definite Meniere’s Disease: An Exploratory Study

The masseter vestibular evoked myogenic potential (mVEMP) is a novel test that has been explored in various brainstem lesions. However, it has not yet been studied in individuals with definite Meniere’s disease. Therefore, the current study aimed to investigate mVEMP responses in individuals with definite Meniere’s disease and compare them with those of a reference group.

The present study investigated narrowband Claus Elberling chirp-evoked mVEMP responses in 22 ears diagnosed with definite Meniere’s disease and 22 ears with hearing sensitivity ≤ 15 dB HL across three stimulation frequencies.

mVEMP responses in participants with definite Meniere’s disease varied from normal to reduced or absent across three octave frequencies. These individuals exhibited significantly reduced P11-N21 peak-to-peak amplitudes compared to those in the reference group. Although a frequency tuning shift toward 1000 Hz was observed, the inter-frequency amplitude ratio of mVEMP was not found to be a sensitive parameter for detecting individuals with definite Meniere’s disease. Additionally, no association was found between the degree of hearing loss or the duration of the disease and mVEMP responses.

Participants with definite Meniere’s disease exhibited reduced P11-N21 amplitude and a tuning shift toward 1000 Hz. These findings suggest the involvement of the vestibulo-trigeminal reflex pathway in this condition.