Comparison of Young and Older Adults on Bone-Conducted Ocular Vestibular-Evoked Myogenic Potentials Using Belly-Tendon Montage

Abstract

Aging leads to physiological changes in the vestibular system, affecting balance and spatial orientation. To investigate these effects, the present study aimed to compare bone-conducted ocular vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials (BC-oVEMP) using belly-tendon (BT) electrode montage. The study included 35 young adults (18–39 years) and 35 older adults (60–75 years) as participants. BC-oVEMP responses were elicited using 500 Hz tone burst, delivered through mastoid and forehead stimulation and recorded using BT electrode montage. Results revealed a significantly lower response rates, longer latencies, smaller amplitudes, and worse thresholds in older adults than young adults, for both mastoid and forehead stimulation. However, IAAR remained comparable between two groups. Despite the known advantage of BT montage in eliciting larger and more consistent responses, the age-related decline in response characteristics were evident, especially among participants over 60 years. The findings highlight the importance of considering age when interpreting BC-oVEMP results.