The impact of aging on masseter vestibular evoked myogenic potentials

OBJECTIVE: The present study aims to investigate the impact of advancing age on the response parameters of masseter vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (mVEMP) elicited using various stimulation frequencies. DESIGN: mVEMP responses were recorded from participants at six stimulus frequencies-250, 500, 750, 1000, 1500, and 2000 Hz-using tone burst stimuli. Response parameters including P1 and N1 latencies, peak-to-peak amplitude, Inter-Aural Amplitude Ratio (IAAR), and Inter-Frequency Amplitude Ratio (IFAR) were analysed to assess the effects of ageing on mVEMP. STUDY SAMPLE: Sixty participants were divided into three age groups: younger adults (18-35 years), middle-aged adults (36-55 years), and older adults (>55 years). RESULT: A significant prolongation of absolute latencies and a reduction in EMG-scaled peak-to-peak amplitude were observed among participants with increasing age. No significant age-related changes were found on N1 latency or IAAR. IFAR values steadily increased with advancing age. CONCLUSION: The commonly used 500 Hz stimulus may not be optimal for eliciting mVEMP responses in middle-aged and older adults. For improved diagnostic accuracy, frequencies of 750 Hz and/or 1000 Hz should be considered for these age groups.