Location and phase effects for ocular and cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials evoked by bone-conducted stimuli at midline skull sites

Our object was to investigate the effect of location and phase on the properties of oVEMPs and cVEMPs evoked by two bone conducted (BC) stimuli, 500 Hz and an impulsive stimulus for midline skull sites from Nz to Iz, in normal volunteers. Compressive and rarefactive onset phases were used and the induced linear and rotational accelerations measured. We confirmed our previous finding of marked changes in the polarity of oVEMPs with location. For cVEMPs using the 500Hz stimulus there were few changes with location or phase, but the impulsive stimulus showed clear phase-related changes at several locations, with the shortest latencies occurring with compressive stimuli at AFz and Fz and the largest amplitudes at Iz. For oVEMPs, both stimuli showed clear effects of phase, with the shortest latencies with compressive stimuli at AFz and Fz and with the largest negativity at Oz or Iz. Whereas the effectiveness at Iz is consistent with a role in the linear VOR, the inversion of polarity and shorter latency around AFz and Fz is not and could not be explained by changes in acceleration of the head. The latency for BC 500Hz oVEMPs for AFz was the same as that for air-conducted (AC) stimuli. We suggest that whereas BC stimuli at most sites work through displacement of the otolith membrane, BC oVEMPs evoked at AFz and Fz may work through a direct action on utricular hair cells. Our findings have implications for clinical testing of VEMPs using midline BC stimuli. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We investigated VEMPs evoked from multiple midline skull sites. Large oVEMP responses were obtained with compressive stimuli at Iz, consistent with a role in the linear VOR, but we also showed inversion of polarity and the shortest latency for stimuli given at AFz and Fz. We propose that BC stimuli given at AFz and Fz may have a direct effect on otolith hair cells, whereas at other sites they work through displacement of the otolith membrane.