A new diagnostic vestibular evoked response.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the development of a new clinically applicable method for assessing vestibular function in humans with particular application in Meniere's disease.

STUDY DESIGN: Sophisticated signal-processing techniques were applied to data from human subject undergoing tilts stimulating the otolith organs and semicircular canals. The most sensitive representatives of vestibular function were extracted as "features".

METHODS: After careful consideration of expected response features, Electrovestibulography, a modified electrocochleography, recordings were performed on fourteen Meniere's patients and sixteen healthy controls undergoing controlled tilts. The data were subjected to multiple signal processing techniques to determine which "features" were most predictive of vestibular responses.

RESULTS: Linear discriminant analysis and fractal dimension may allow data from a single tilt to be used to adequately characterize the vestibular system.

CONCLUSION: Objective, physiologic assessment of vestibular function may become realistic with application of modern signal processing techniques.