The aim of this study is to evaluate utricle function in Meniere’s disease (MD) patients using video ocular counter roll (vOCR), ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potential (oVEMP), subjective visual vertical (SVV), and subjective visual horizontal (SVH) tests, and compare the test results with those of healthy individuals.
Methods
The study included 21 patients aged 18–55 years with a definitive diagnosis of MD (mean age: 49 ± 6.92) and 24 healthy individuals (mean age: 39 ± 16.66) with normal audiological and vestibular function, no neurological or systemic diseases, and no use of ototoxic medications. All participants underwent a series of auditory and vestibular assessments, including pure-tone audiometry, acoustic immittance testing, videonystagmography (VNG), vOCR, oVEMP, and SVV/SVH testing.
Results
Static vOCR gain did not differ significantly between the MD and control groups. However, the MD group exhibited significantly higher OCR asymmetry ratio (p = .01) and oVEMP asymmetry (p < .001) compared to controls. Perceptually, MD patients showed significantly larger deviations in SVV and SVH in the upright position (0°) (p < .05), but no significant differences were observed at tilt angles (15°, 30°, 45°).
Conclusion
Utricular dysfunction in MD is multidimensional. During the interictal phase, while static reflex gains may appear preserved, functional asymmetries and static perceptual deficits persist. The findings highlight that single-modality testing is insufficient; a multimodal approach combining reflex and perceptual assessments is essential for detecting subclinical utricular dysfunction.
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