Utilisation of multi-frequency VEMPs improves diagnostic accuracy for Meniere’s disease

To determine whether vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) measurements that combine the VEMP 500/1000 Hz frequency tuning ratio and the inter-aural asymmetry ratio can reliably detect unilateral Meniere‘s disease ears as compared to healthy controls. Forty-two consecutive patients with certain unilateral Meniere’s disease (as confirmed using a locally enhanced inner ear MRI (LEIM)) were assessed. Cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (cVEMP) and ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (oVEMP) were recorded at 500 and 1000 Hz. The VEMP amplitudes, asymmetry ratios, and the 500/1000 Hz amplitude ratios were compared with those of 21 age-matched healthy controls. A multi-frequency VEMPs score that combined: (1) the cVEMP 500/1000 Hz amplitude ratio, (2) the oVEMP 500/1000 Hz amplitude ratio, (3) the 500 Hz cVEMP asymmetry ratio, (4) the 1000 Hz cVEMP asymmetry ratio, produced a ROC curve with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.814. The inclusion of audiology data further improved the result to 0.906. This score can be used to discriminate with a good degree of clinical accuracy between Meniere’s ears (unilateral) and those of healthy controls. Multi-frequency VEMP analysis offers a simple, cost-effective solution to the diagnostic difficulties presented by Meniere’s disease.