Effects of aging on vestibular evoked myogenic potential

Objective: The purpose of this study is to assess the effects of aging on air-conducted sound elicited cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential (cVEMP) and ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potential(oVEMP) in normal people.

Methods: Sixty normal subjects were recruited for the vestibular evoked myogenic potential examination. Among them, 20-40 year-old group was setted as the first group, 41-60 year-old group was setted as the second group, > 60-year-old group was setted as the third group. Each group included 20 normal subjects. SPSS 16.0 software was used to analyze the data.

Results: As the age growing, P1 latency prolonged, N1-P1 amplitude decreased, and amplitude asymmetric ratio increased in cVEMP; N1 latency prolonged, P1-N1 amplitude decreased, and amplitude asymmetric ratio increased in oVEMP.

Conclusions: With the age growing, the time of otolithic organ input pathways prolonged, the function of otolithic organ decreased and the decrease level may be asymeetrical on both sides.