The Clinical Utility of VEMP in an ENT Practice: Lessons Learned

The cervical and ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potential (cVEMP and oVEMP, respectively) are clinical tests used to measure the integrity of the saccule and utricle and their associated neural pathways. While VEMPs have a clear role in the diagnosis of otolith impairments associated with disorders affecting the vestibular system, there are a variety of the methods historically used to stimulate and record these reflexes. This presentation will discuss the differences in VEMP methodology, clinical utility of VEMP testing in different vestibular disorders, as well as common pitfalls often encountered when measuring this response. A thorough discussion about the role of VEMPs in the standard vestibular test battery will also be discussed. Following this presentation, the learner will be able to… 1. Describe the clinical utility of VEMP testing across a variety of vestibular disorders 2. Identify common pitfalls often encountered during routine VEMP testing 3. Understand the role of VEMPs in the context of the standard vestibular test battery