Vestibular evoked potentials (VsEPs) of cortical origin produced by impulsive acceleration applied at the nasion

• Published in: Experimental brain research Vol. 232; no. 12; pp. 3771 - 3784
• Main Authors: Todd, Neil P. M., McLean, Aisha, Paillard, Aurore, Kluk, Karolina, Colebatch, James G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01-12-2014; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Acceleration; Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Cerebral Cortex - physiology; Electric Stimulation; Electroencephalography; Evoked potentials (Electrophysiology); Evoked Potentials - physiology; Female; Fingers - physiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Impulse; Male; Neurology; Neurosciences; Physiological aspects; Reaction Time - physiology; Research Article; Skull - physiology; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs; Young Adult; Australia; United Kingdom; Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs); Impulsive acceleration (IA); Vestibular evoked potentials (VsEPs); Electrophysiology; Acceleration; Evoked potential
• ISSN: 0014-4819; 1432-1106
• DOI: 10.1007/s00221-014-4067-x

We report the results of a study to record vestibular evoked potentials (VsEPs) of cortical origin produced by impulsive acceleration (IA). In a sample of 12 healthy participants, evoked potentials recorded by 70 channel electroencephalography were obtained by IA stimulation at the nasion and compared with evoked potentials from the same stimulus applied to the forefingers. The nasion stimulation gave rise to a series of positive and negative deflections in the latency range of 26–72 ms, which were dependent on the polarity of the applied IA. In contrast, evoked potentials from the fingers were characterised by a single N50/P50 deflection at about 50 ms and were polarity invariant. Source analysis confirmed that the finger evoked potentials were somatosensory in origin, i.e. were somatosensory evoked potentials, and suggested that the nasion evoked potentials plausibly included vestibular midline and frontal sources, as well as contributions from the eyes, and thus were likely VsEPs. These results show considerable promise as a new method for assessment of the central vestibular system by means of VsEPs produced by IA applied to the head.