ABSTRACT
Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) provokes oxidative stress and ischemia, which affects the central nervous system. The degeneration of neurons in the brainstem due to periodic hypoxia can be evaluated by vestibular and audiologic tests. The objective of this study is to determine brainstem damage in severe OSAS patients with the help of vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) responses. Prospective, randomize, double-blind. Research-training hospital. We compared cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential (cVEMP) responses between severe OSAS patients and a control group. 54 patients were included and divided into the OSAS group, with severe OSAS (apnea-hypopnea index, AHI >70), and a control group with snoring without OSAS (AHI <5). Both groups underwent cVEMP. Bilateral recordings with simultaneous binaural logon stimulations were used during VEMP recordings. The existing p1n1 and n2p2 responses, p1, n1, n2, and p2 latencies and amplitudes, and p1n1 and n2p2 intervals were measured. Statistically significant differences were revealed between patients and controls for the response rate of the p1n1, n2p2 and p1n1, n2p2 amplitudes. There were no significant differences between the two groups with respect to the latencies of p1, n1, n2 and p2, or the p1n1 and n2p2 intervals. The VEMP response rate was lower in severe OSAS patients, and all amplitudes were shorter than in healthy subjects. VEMP recordings in severe OSAS subjects demonstrates abnormalities in brainstem pathways. It appears that brainstem damage in severe OSAS can be detected by cVEMP recordings.
