Vertical Plane Short and Middle Latency Vestibular Evoked Potentials in Humans

Abstract

In order to determine whether short and middle latency vestibular evoked potentials (VsEPs) can be recorded in humans in response to angular acceleration stimuli in the vertical plane, a drum, head-holder, and stepper motor were designed to deliver upward acceleration impulses of 10,000°/s² (1.8° displacement) to the human head. Forehead and mastoid electrodes recorded electrical activity that was filtered, differentially amplified, and averaged in short (12.7 milliseconds) and middle (63.5 milliseconds) latency time frames. Control recordings were used to eliminate various types of artifact. Recordings were conducted in 7 normal subjects and in 4 control patients with congenital, profound hearing loss and absence of caloric responses. Short and middle latency VsEPs with high intrasubject and intersubject consistency were recorded in normal subjects and not in control patients. The middle latency responses were larger in amplitude than the short latency responses. The effects of stimulus intensity and repetition rate on VsEP waveform, latency, and amplitude were studied. Experiments have shown that the responses are not electrical artifact, nor are they contaminated by auditory, somatosensory, or passive eye movement potentials.