The purpose of this project is to define for young, middle age, and elderly subjects the best frequency(cies) to record both the cVEMP and the oVEMP. An additional objective of this study is to describe the age related changes in the frequency tuning of both the cVEMP and oVEMP. Our hypothesis is that damage to the saccule or utricle, as a result of aging, would alter the resonant frequency of the end organ thus altering the frequency tuning characteristics of the vestibular system. Our results show that there are no significant differences in VEMP amplitude evoked by a 500 Hz, 750 Hz, and 1000 Hz air conduction tone bursts for our subjects. Our findings also show that aging results in an overall flattening or loss of frequency tuning in older adults for the cVEMP, but not the oVEMP. Additionally, the frequency tuning of both the cVEMP and oVEMP shifts to a higher frequency in the older adult group compared to the middle age and young adult groups. Accordingly, for dizzy patients over the age of 60 years, a 500 Hz air conduction tone burst may not be the ideal frequency to elicit a VEMP response. We recommend using a stimulus frequency of 750 Hz or 1000 Hz in this population.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:VANDERBILT/oai:VANDERBILTETD:etd-03232012-150057 |
| Date | 05 April 2012 |
| Creators | Piker, Erin Gillikin |
| Contributors | Gary P. Jacobson, Devin L. McCaslin, Linda J. Hood, Robert F. Burkard |
| Publisher | VANDERBILT |
| Source Sets | Vanderbilt University Theses |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://etd.library.vanderbilt.edu/available/etd-03232012-150057/ |
| Rights | unrestricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to Vanderbilt University or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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