Bone Conduction Vibration Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potential (VEMP) Testing: Reliability in Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults.
Nicole L Greenwalt, Jessie N Patterson, Amanda I Rodriguez and 3 others
PMID 32701728WHAT IT FOUND
Bone conduction vibration testing produced consistent and reliable vestibular responses in children, adolescents, and young adults.
The Mini-shaker and impulse hammer achieved the highest response rates, while the B-71 oscillator showed poor reliability for ocular responses in adults.
Key findings
01All bone conduction methods yielded consistent cervical responses with at least moderate reliability across age groups.
02Ocular responses were also consistent across methods, except for the B-71 oscillator in adults which showed poor reliability.
03The impulse hammer and Mini-shaker achieved 100% response rates for ocular testing in adolescents and children.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study included a small number of participants, with only ten in the child group. One child did not tolerate the B-71 bone oscillator, which may affect the generalizability of its comfort profile. The impulse hammer relies on manual application, introducing variability in force that requires careful monitoring to ensure consistent stimulus intensity. The B-71 oscillator placement on the mastoid was not standardized, which could influence reliability.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume the B-71 bone oscillator is a reliable tool for ocular testing in adults. While it performed adequately for cervical responses, its reliability for ocular responses in this age group was exceptionally poor compared to the Mini-shaker and impulse hammer.