Chapters authored
Hearing and Vestibular Testing in Menière’s Disease
Endolymphatic hydrops (ELH) known as the main pathophysiology of Menière’s disease (MD) changes both the cochlear and vestibular function of the inner ear. These physiological changes can occur simultaneously (cochleovestibular involvement) or separately (cochlear or vestibular involvement). They can also present unilaterally or bilaterally (simultaneously or sequentially). Moreover, ELH recurs periodically without any specific etiology and known rhythm. Therefore, the patient referred for audiological tests may be in attack phase (acute) or inter-attack phase (chronic). MD itself may be in early- or advanced stage. In addition, considering comorbidity (vestibular or non-vestibular) is vital for differential diagnosis. On the other hand, each audiological test (including PTA, ECochG, VNG, vHIT, SVV, VEMPs …) has its specific diagnostic viewpoint and gives us a limited snapshot of MD’s clinical picture. Consequently, in this chapter, we want to discuss these viewpoints and try to explain associations and dissociations of audiological test findings in MD patients.
Part of the book: Recent Advances in Audiological and Vestibular Research