Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials in Vestibular Neuritis

Abstract

Vestibular neuritis, previously called vestibular neuronitis, is an inflammation of the vestibular branches of the vestibulocochlear nerve. A patient with vestibular neuritis typically presents to medical emergencies with acute onset persistent vertigo, nausea and vomiting, the features that require a differential diagnosis from stroke, a true medical emergency. While HINTS+ protocol helps exclude stroke, it does not always point out the specific vestibular nerve branch affected in these cases. Vestibular-evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) helps in the assessment of the superior vestibular nerve and inferior vestibular nerve through cervical and ocular VEMPs, respectively, and thereby provides a window of opportunity to diagnose the accurate site of the lesion. This chapter describes the findings of various VEMP sub-types in vestibular neuritis with illustrative case examples.