Evaluation of masseter vestibular evoked myogenic potential (mVUMP) testing in a pediatric population with normal vestibular function

In the evaluation of pediatric vestibular disorders, the vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) is a valuable test battery used in the evaluation of otolith organ and central nervous system connections. The masseter vestibular evoked myogenic potential (mVEMP) test is an additional neurophysiological tool that investigates the brainstem function of the vestibulo-trigeminal reflex pathway in physiological and pathological conditions by recording the masseter muscle. The aim of our study, which examined the mVEMP test in a pediatric population, was to verify the applicability and reproducibility of the mVEMP test and to determine the P1 latency, N1 latency, N1-P1 interpeak latency, wave amplitudes and interaural amplitude asymmetry ratio. Our study was carried out in Ankara University, Faculty of Medicine, Ibni Sina Hospital, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Hearing, Speech and Balance Disorders Diagnosis and Rehabilitation Center and Bezmialem Vakif University Fatih Annex Service Building Audiology Practice Laboratory on a total of 66 individuals, 33 females and 33 males, aged 10-18 years. The individuals were divided into three groups according to their ages as group 1 between 10-12 years, group 2 between 13-15 years, and group 3 between 16-18 years. Hearing test, tympanometric evaluation, videonystagmography (VNG), masseter vestibular evoked myogenic potential (mVEMP) test measurements were performed. mVEMP measurement parameter results were compared according to gender, ear side and age groups. According to the results of gender comparison, P1 latency in the right ear at 100 decibel (dB) nHL and 85 dB nHL and P1 latency in the left ear at 80 dB nHL were significantly shorter in females compared to males (p<0.05). According to the ear-side comparison results, N1 latency at 100 dB nHL and N1-P1 interpeak latency at 90 dB nHL were significantly shorter in the right ear compared to the left ear (p<0.05). A significant difference was observed in the right ear amplitude at 80 dB nHL and 85 dB nHL, and in the left ear amplitude at 100 dB nHL, 95 dB nHL, 90 dB nHL and 80 dB nHL (p<0.05). In the pairwise comparison between the groups, the amplitude values of the 1st group were higher than the 2nd and 3rd groups at the intensities where a significant difference was found. In conclusion, mVEMP test can be used as a diagnostic test in the evaluation of the vestibulo-trigeminal pathway, various peripheral and central vestibular disorders and central nervous system diseases in the pediatric population. Keywords: Masseter vestibular evoked myogenic potential (mVEMP), pediatric, pediatric vestibular evaluation, vestibulomasseteric reflex (VMR), vestibulo-trigeminal pathway.