Garbutt Ruby E, O'Beirne Greg A, Maslin Michael R D
School of Psychology, Speech and Hearing - The University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Eisdell Moore Centre for Hearing and Balance Research, Auckland, New Zealand.
J Am Acad Audiol. 2023 Mar;34(3-04):49-55. doi: 10.1055/s-0043-1764348. Epub 2024 Sep 30.
There is limited evidence demonstrating the ability of audiometric bone vibrators to elicit ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (oVEMPs). The RadioEar B71 bone vibrator has insufficient power output to reliably evoke oVEMPs, which has previously left nonaudiometric and nonmedically approved devices such as the Brüel & Kjær Mini-shaker 4810 as the only feasible alternative. The newer RadioEar B81 model has a higher power output than its predecessor, but evidence for its suitability for eliciting oVEMPs has so far been mixed. This variability may be due to factors other than simply the power output, such as whether sufficient static force is applied to hold the transducer in place and transfer vibratory energy into the bone.
This study aimed to test the hypothesis that bone-conducted oVEMPs can be obtained with the B81 that are equivalent to those from the Mini-shaker, the de facto gold-standard transducer for this response, when the outputs of the two transducers are matched and they are coupled with sufficient static force.
oVEMPs elicited by both transducers were recorded in a counterbalanced within-groups design.
Sixteen healthy adults (12 female; 22-47 years) with no history of hearing, balance, or neurological disorders were included in the study.
One-cycle alternating tone-burst stimuli at 500 Hz were delivered to the mastoid from each transducer. The vibratory force levels were matched at 127 dB peak-to-peak equivalent force levels, and both were held in place with a static force around 10 N. oVEMP waveforms were gathered from the contralateral eye using the belly-tendon montage and were assessed for statistical equivalence.
There was an absence of any statistically significant difference in N10 and N10-P15 amplitudes in oVEMPs from each transducer.
Our results indicate that B81 can elicit oVEMPs with no meaningful differences to those from the Mini-shaker, provided effective stimulus levels are matched and static force is sufficient. Although further work is necessary to investigate equivalence at other stimulus frequencies and stimulation sites, the results support the use of the B81 to elicit 500Hz oVEMPs at the mastoid in a clinical setting.
仅有有限的证据表明听力计骨振动器能够诱发眼前庭诱发肌源性电位（oVEMP）。RadioEar B71骨振动器的功率输出不足，无法可靠地诱发oVEMP，这使得诸如Brüel & Kjær Mini-shaker 4810等非听力计且未经医学批准的设备成为唯一可行的替代方案。新型的RadioEar B81型号比其前身具有更高的功率输出，但迄今为止，关于其是否适合诱发oVEMP的证据并不一致。这种变异性可能是由于除了功率输出之外的其他因素，例如是否施加了足够的静力来固定换能器并将振动能量传递到骨骼中。
本研究旨在检验以下假设：当两个换能器的输出相匹配且以足够的静力耦合时，使用B81能够获得与Mini-shaker（该反应的实际金标准换能器）等效的骨传导oVEMP。
在组内平衡设计中记录两个换能器诱发的oVEMP。
16名无听力、平衡或神经系统疾病史的健康成年人（12名女性；22 - 47岁）纳入本研究。
向每个换能器的乳突施加500Hz的单周期交替短纯音刺激。振动力水平在峰峰值等效于127dB的水平上匹配，并且两者均以约10N的静力固定到位。使用腹肌腱导联从对侧眼收集oVEMP波形，并评估其统计等效性。
每个换能器诱发的oVEMP中，N10和N10 - P15振幅没有任何统计学上的显著差异。
我们的结果表明，只要有效刺激水平相匹配且静力足够，B81诱发的oVEMP与Mini-shaker诱发的oVEMP没有显著差异。尽管有必要进一步研究其他刺激频率和刺激部位的等效性，但结果支持在临床环境中使用B81在乳突处诱发500Hz的oVEMP。
