Klinische Neurophysiologie 2009; 40(3): 170-176
DOI: 10.1055/s-0029-1202849
Originalia

© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Die elektrophysiologische Untersuchung des vestibulo-collischen Reflexes (VCR)

Electrophysiological examination of the vestibulocollic reflex (VCR)P. Schlindwein1
  • 1Abteilung für Neurologie, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
03 September 2009 (online)

Zusammenfassung

Der vestibulocollische Reflex (VCR) hat sich in den letzten Jahren zu einem standardisierten Otolithenfunktionstest in der Neurootologie entwickelt. Er stellt ein weiteres nichtinvasives Diagnostikum in Beurteilung und Verlaufskontrolle von hauptsächlich peripher-vestibulären Erkrankungen dar. Mit dem VCR kann die seitengetrennte Funktion des Sacculus, die Integrität des inferioren Vestibularnerven und der medialen vestibulospinalen Projektionen nach Umschaltung im Vestibulariskerngebiet beurteilt werden. Er gehört im Rahmen der Kontrolle von Stand und Gang zu den Haltungsreflexen und wird in der klinischen Routine vom mittleren Drittel des ipsilateralen, vorinnervierten M. sternocleidomastoideus nach monauraler akustischer Stimulation abgeleitet. Als gleichwertige Stimuli können dabei Rechteck-Klicks (0,1 ms Dauer, 95 dB oberhalb der Hörschwelle, max. 145 dB Schalldruck) oder Burst-Reize (500 Hz, 80 db oberhalb der Hörschwelle, max. 130 db Schalldruck) verwendet werden. Die Amplitude des gemittelten P13/N23-Komplexes (mindestens 128 Wiederholungen) sollte beim gesunden Erwachsenen bis 60 Jahre größer als 100 μV sein. Die Latenzen gehen nicht in die Befundung ein. Eine Seitendifferenz der Amplitude von mehr als 50% zuungunsten der kleineren Antwort ist als pathologisch anzusehen. Die wichtigsten Anwendungsgebiete für den VCR sind die Detektion von Labyrinthfisteln, der Ausschluss einer Mitbeteiligung des inferioren Vestibularnerven bei einer Neuritis vestibularis, einem Akustikusneurinom oder einer bilateralen Vestibulopathie und die Beurteilung der Sacculusfunktion im Rahmen eines M. Menière. Der VCR kann auch zur Verlaufsbeurteilung einer schweren basilären Migräne unter medikamentöser Prophylaxe oder zur prognostischen Einschätzung von Schalltraumen zu Rate gezogen werden. Die Interpretation des VCR sollte nur in Zusammenschau von Klinik und Anamnese des Patienten und zusätzlichen elektrophysiologischen Untersuchungen (z. B. Elektronystagmografie mit kalorischer Spülung, akustisch evozierte Potenziale) erfolgen.

Abstract

The vestibulocollic reflex (VCR) and/or the vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials (VEMP) have become a routine diagnostic tool to assess otolith function in recent years. The VCR belongs to the group of vestibulo-spinal reflexes that control posture and stance. The reflex is usually recorded from the ipsilateral sternocleidomastoid muscle (SCM) after monaural acoustic stimulation. It is elicited by intense square-wave click-tones (0.1 ms duration, 95 dB sound pressure level (SPL) above the normal hearing threshold) or short tone-bursts (STB) (80 dB SPL above normal hearing threshold). The VCR represents an unphysiological stimulation of the saccculus that reaches the vestibular nuclei in the lateral pons via the inferior vestibular nerve. After a switch-over in the medial vestibular nuclei, it travels by means of the medial vestibulospinal tract to the ipsilateral motorneurons of the SCM. There, it modulates a tonic baseline activity of the muscle. The VCR has its strength in the detection of fistulas of the semicircular canals, the dysfunction of the sacculus in Menière's disease as well as the involvement of the inferior vestibular nerve in vestibular neuritis. It is also a good clinical method to evaluate acoustic neurinoma, the extent of a bilateral vestibulopathy and to monitor the course of therapy in basilary migraine.

Literatur

  • 1 Colebatch JG. Vestibular evoked potentials.  Curr Opin Neurol. 2001;  14 ((1)) 21-26
  • 2 Békésy von G. Über akustische Reizung des Vestibularapparates.  Pflüger's Archiv für die gesamte Physiologie des Menschen und der Tiere. 1935;  236 59-76
  • 3 Cody DT. et al . Averaged Evoked Myogenic and Cortical Potentials to Sound in Man.  Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 1964;  73 763-777
  • 4 Halmagyi GM. et al . Vestibular responses to sound.  Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2005;  1039 54-67
  • 5 Murofushi T. et al . Responses of guinea pig primary vestibular neurons to clicks.  Exp Brain Res. 1995;  103 ((1)) 174-178
  • 6 Colebatch JG, Halmagyi GM. Vestibular evoked potentials in human neck muscles before and after unilateral vestibular deafferentation.  Neurology. 1992;  42 ((8)) 1635-1636
  • 7 Colebatch JG, Halmagyi GM, Skuse NF. Myogenic potentials generated by a click-evoked vestibulocollic reflex.  J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1994;  57 ((2)) 190-197
  • 8 Uchino Y. et al . Sacculocollic reflex arcs in cats.  J Neurophysiol. 1997;  77 ((6)) 3003-3012
  • 9 Wu CH, Young YH, Murofushi T. Tone burst-evoked myogenic potentials in human neck flexor and extensor.  Acta Otolaryngol. 1999;  119 ((7)) 741-744
  • 10 Sheykholeslami K. et al . Bone-conducted evoked myogenic potentials from the sternocleidomastoid muscle.  Acta Otolaryngol. 2000;  120 ((6)) 731-734
  • 11 Lue JH. et al . Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials Are Heavily Dependent on Type I Hair Cell Activity of the Saccular Macula in Guinea Pigs.  Audiol Neurootol. 2008;  14 ((1)) 59-66
  • 12 Fay RR, Edds-Walton PL. Directional encoding by fish auditory systems.  Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2000;  355 ((1401)) 1281-1284
  • 13 Fay RR, Popper AN. Evolution of hearing in vertebrates: the inner ears and processing.  Hear Res. 2000;  149 ((1–2)) 1-10
  • 14 Sheykholeslami K, Murofushi T, Kaga K. The effect of sternocleidomastoid electrode location on vestibular evoked myogenic potential.  Auris Nasus Larynx. 2001;  28 ((1)) 41-43
  • 15 Isaacson B, Murphy E, Cohen H. Does the method of sternocleidomastoid muscle activation affect the vestibular evoked myogenic potential response?.  J Vestib Res. 2006;  16 ((4–5)) 187-191
  • 16 Isaradisaikul S. et al . Reliability of vestibular evoked myogenic potentials in healthy subjects.  Otol Neurotol. 2008;  29 ((4)) 542-544
  • 17 Wang CT, Young YH. Comparison of the head elevation versus rotation methods in eliciting vestibular evoked myogenic potentials.  Ear Hear. 2006;  27 ((4)) 376-381
  • 18 Takegoshi H, Murofushi T. Effect of white noise on vestibular evoked myogenic potentials.  Hear Res. 2003;  176 ((1–2)) 59-64
  • 19 Cheng PW, Murofushi T. The effects of plateau time on vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials triggered by tone bursts.  Acta Otolaryngol. 2001;  121 ((8)) 935-938
  • 20 Cheng PW, Murofushi T. The effect of rise/fall time on vestibular-evoked myogenic potential triggered by short tone bursts.  Acta Otolaryngol. 2001;  121 ((6)) 696-699
  • 21 Wu CH, Murofushi T. The effect of click repetition rate on vestibular evoked myogenic potential.  Acta Otolaryngol. 1999;  119 ((1)) 29-32
  • 22 Brantberg K, Granath K, Schart N. Age-related changes in vestibular evoked myogenic potentials.  Audiol Neurootol. 2007;  12 ((4)) 247-253
  • 23 Chang CH. et al . Measuring neck structures in relation to vestibular evoked myogenic potentials.  Clin Neurophysiol. 2007;  118 ((5)) 1105-1109
  • 24 Chen CN. et al . Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials in newborns.  Audiol Neurootol. 2007;  12 ((1)) 59-63
  • 25 Wang SJ. et al . Development of vestibular evoked myogenic potentials in preterm neonates.  Audiol Neurootol. 2008;  13 ((3)) 145-152
  • 26 Young YH. et al . Development of vestibular evoked myogenic potentials in early life.  Eur J Paediatr Neurol. 2009;  13 ((3)) 235-239. , Epub 2008 Jun 20
  • 27 Picciotti PM. et al . Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials in children.  Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2007;  71 ((1)) 29-33
  • 28 Sheykholeslami K. et al . Vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials in infancy and early childhood.  Laryngoscope. 2005;  115 ((8)) 1440-1444
  • 29 Sheykholeslami K. et al . Vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials in three patients with large vestibular aqueduct.  Hear Res. 2004;  190 ((1–2)) 161-168
  • 30 Zhou G, Gopen Q, Poe DS. Clinical and diagnostic characterization of canal dehiscence syndrome: a great otologic mimicker.  Otol Neurotol. 2007;  28 ((7)) 920-926
  • 31 Wang MC, Lee GS. Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials in middle ear effusion.  Acta Otolaryngol. 2007;  127 ((7)) 700-704
  • 32 Bath AP. et al . Effect of conductive hearing loss on the vestibulo-collic reflex.  Clin Otolaryngol Allied Sci. 1999;  24 ((3)) 181-183
  • 33 Chen CW, Young YH, Wu CH. Vestibular neuritis: three-dimensional videonystagmography and vestibular evoked myogenic potential results.  Acta Otolaryngol. 2000;  120 ((7)) 845-848
  • 34 Hong SM. et al . The results of vestibular evoked myogenic potentials, with consideration of age-related changes, in vestibular neuritis, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, and Meniere's disease.  Acta Otolaryngol. 2008;  128 ((8)) 861-865
  • 35 Kim HA. et al . Otolith dysfunction in vestibular neuritis: recovery pattern and a predictor of symptom recovery.  Neurology. 2008;  70 ((6)) 449-453
  • 36 Murofushi T. et al . Absent vestibular evoked myogenic potentials in vestibular neurolabyrinthitis. An indicator of inferior vestibular nerve involvement?.  Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1996;  122 ((8)) 845-848
  • 37 Murofushi T, Iwasaki S, Ushio M. Recovery of vestibular evoked myogenic potentials after a vertigo attack due to vestibular neuritis.  Acta Otolaryngol. 2006;  126 ((4)) 364-367
  • 38 Ochi K, Ohashi T, Watanabe S. Vestibular-evoked myogenic potential in patients with unilateral vestibular neuritis: abnormal VEMP and its recovery.  J Laryngol Otol. 2003;  117 ((2)) 104-108
  • 39 Lin MY. et al . Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMP) can detect asymptomatic saccular hydrops.  Laryngoscope. 2006;  116 ((6)) 987-992
  • 40 Seo T. et al . A possible case of saccular endolymphatic hydrops.  ORL J Otorhinolaryngol Relat Spec. 1999;  61 ((4)) 215-218
  • 41 Magliulo G. et al . Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials and distortion-product otoacoustic emissions combined with glycerol testing in endolymphatic hydrops: their value in early diagnosis.  Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 2004;  113 ((12)) 1000-1005
  • 42 Magliulo G. et al . Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials and glycerol testing.  Laryngoscope. 2004;  114 ((2)) 338-343
  • 43 de Waele C. et al . Saccular dysfunction in Meniere's disease.  Am J Otol. 1999;  20 ((2)) 223-232
  • 44 Timmer FC. et al . Vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) in patients with Meniere's disease with drop attacks.  Laryngoscope. 2006;  116 ((5)) 776-779
  • 45 Wu Z. et al . The saccular function in Meniere's disease.  Lin Chuang Er Bi Yan Hou Ke Za Zhi. 2004;  18 ((7)) 393-395
  • 46 Kuo SW, Yang TH, Young YH. Changes in vestibular evoked myogenic potentials after Meniere attacks.  Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 2005;  114 ((9)) 717-721
  • 47 Rauch SD. et al . Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials show altered tuning in patients with Meniere's disease.  Otol Neurotol. 2004;  25 ((3)) 333-338
  • 48 Modugno GC. et al . Could vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs) also be useful in the diagnosis of perilymphatic fistula?.  Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2006;  263 ((6)) 552-555
  • 49 Streubel SO. et al . Vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials in the diagnosis of superior canal dehiscence syndrome.  Acta Otolaryngol Suppl. 2001;  545 41-49
  • 50 Welgampola MS. et al . Vestibular-evoked myogenic potential thresholds normalize on plugging superior canal dehiscence.  Neurology. 2008;  70 ((6)) 464-472
  • 51 Chen CW, Young YH, Tseng HM. Preoperative versus postoperative role of vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials in cerebellopontine angle tumor.  Laryngoscope. 2002;  112 ((2)) 267-271
  • 52 Hamann C. et al . Vestibular evoked muscle potentials dependency on neural origin and the location of an acoustic neuroma.  Hno. 2005;  53 ((8)) 690-694
  • 53 Matsuzaki M, Murofushi T, Mizuno M. Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials in acoustic tumor patients with normal auditory brainstem responses.  Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 1999;  256 ((1)) 1-4
  • 54 Murofushi T, Matsuzaki M, Mizuno M. Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials in patients with acoustic neuromas.  Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1998;  124 ((5)) 509-512
  • 55 Takeichi N. et al . Vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) in patients with acoustic neuromas.  Auris Nasus Larynx. 2001;  28 ((Suppl)) S39-41
  • 56 Tsutsumi T. et al . Postoperative vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials in cases with vestibular schwannomas.  Acta Otolaryngol. 2001;  121 ((4)) 490-493
  • 57 Tsutsumi T. et al . Prediction of the nerves of origin of vestibular schwannomas with vestibular evoked myogenic potentials.  Am J Otol. 2000;  21 ((5)) 712-715
  • 58 Wang CP, Hsu WC, Young YH. Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials in neurofibromatosis 2.  Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 2005;  114 ((1 Pt 1)) 69-73
  • 59 Day AS. et al . Correlating the cochleovestibular deficits with tumor size of acoustic neuroma.  Acta Otolaryngol. 2008;  128 ((7)) 756-760
  • 60 Allena M. et al . The vestibulo-collic reflex is abnormal in migraine.  Cephalalgia. 2007;  27 ((10)) 1150-1155
  • 61 Roceanu A. et al . Abnormalities of the vestibulo-collic reflex are similar in migraineurs with and without vertigo.  Cephalalgia. 2008;  28 ((9)) 988-990
  • 62 Liao LJ, Young YH. Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials in basilar artery migraine.  Laryngoscope. 2004;  114 ((7)) 1305-1309
  • 63 Itoh A. et al . Clinical study of vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials and auditory brainstem responses in patients with brainstem lesions.  Acta Otolaryngol Suppl. 2001;  545 116-119
  • 64 Patko T, Simo M, Aranyi Z. Vestibular click-evoked myogenic potentials: sensitivity and factors determining abnormality in patients with multiple sclerosis.  Mult Scler. 2007;  13 ((2)) 193-198
  • 65 Versino M. et al . Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials in multiple sclerosis patients.  Clin Neurophysiol. 2002;  113 ((9)) 1464-1469
  • 66 Lundy L, Zapala D, Olsholt K. Dorsolateral medullary infarction: a neurogenic cause of a contralateral, large-amplitude vestibular evoked myogenic potential.  J Am Acad Audiol. 2008;  19 ((3)) 246-256 , quiz 275.
  • 67 Pollak L, Kushnir M, Stryjer R. Diagnostic value of vestibular evoked myogenic potentials in cerebellar and lower-brainstem strokes.  Neurophysiol Clin. 2006;  36 ((4)) 227-233
  • 68 Akdogan O. et al . Vestibular nerve functions in children with auditory neuropathy.  Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2008;  72 ((3)) 415-419
  • 69 Wang J. et al . Audiological characteristics of unilateral auditory neuropathy: 11 case study.  Lin Chung Er Bi Yan Hou Tou Jing Wai Ke Za Zhi. 2007;  21 ((10)) 436-440
  • 70 Bramhall NF. et al . A novel WFS1 mutation in a family with dominant low frequency sensorineural hearing loss with normal VEMP and EcochG findings.  BMC Med Genet. 2008;  9 48
  • 71 Hong SM. et al . Saccular damage in patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss without vertigo.  Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2008;  139 ((4)) 541-545
  • 72 Rosengren SM, Colebatch JG. Vestibular evoked potentials (VsEPs) in patients with severe to profound bilateral hearing loss.  Clin Neurophysiol. 2006;  117 ((5)) 1145-1153
  • 73 Sazgar AA. et al . Saccular damage in patients with high-frequency sensorineural hearing loss.  Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2006;  263 ((7)) 608-613
  • 74 Zagolski O, Jurkiewicz D. Functional evaluation of the vestibular organ in infants with risk factors for hearing loss occurring in the perinatal period.  Med Sci Monit. 2006;  12 ((6)) CR248-52
  • 75 Wang YP, Hsu WC, Young YH. Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials in acute acoustic trauma.  Otol Neurotol. 2006;  27 ((7)) 956-961

Korrespondenzadresse

Dr. med. P. Schlindwein

Klinik und Poliklinik für Neurologie

Johannes Gutenberg-Universität

Langenbeckstraße 1

55101 Mainz

Email: schlindw@uni-mainz.de

    >