• Delgado, C.
• Soto, A.
• Astudillo, Juan Pablo Faundez
• Martinez, M.
• Delano, P.

Abstract

Introduction: Peripheral vestibular activity seems to be fundamental to integrate information in place cells and head-direction cells. Vestibular activity influences spatial memory and navigation processes. Subjects with bilateral vestibular loss, perilymphatic fistula, and vertigo have neuropsychological deficits as attention disorders, visuospatial andexecutive function impairments and short-term memory problems.Harun et al. reported in 2016 that in Alzheimer dementia (AD) patients exist a relation between peripheral vestibular impairment and disease onset. The purpose of this study is to find associations between peripheral vestibular function and cognitive performance in elderly population.<br/><br/>Material and Method: The current study recruited forty-one participants (mean age 74,2 years; s.d. +/- 4,77). The exclusion criteria were conductive or mixed hearing loss diagnosis, non-typical tympanic membrane image or presence of occluding ear wax, history of vertigo or related symptoms and at least 6 years of formal education. All participants went under neuropsychological testing and air-conducted cVEMP recordings.<br/><br/>Results: Non-parametric analysis show a significant correlation between cVEMP amplitude in the right ear and working memory performance (rho = 0.268, p = 0.045). Also, a significant correlation between cVEMP amplitude in the right ear and executive function performance (rho= 0.277, p=0.04) it was found. Analysis also shows a negative correlation between cVEMP amplitude in the left ear and long-term memory performance (rho= 0.277, p=0.04). Other significant correlations were not found.<br/><br/>Conclusions: Data analysis shows a mild positive significant association between cVEMP amplitude and working memory and executive function performance.It has been shown that peripheral vestibular inputs has cortical connections with parietal cortex, which is involved in working memory function. About cVEMP and executive function, results suggest that vestibular inputs could have neural connectivity with prefrontal cortex.Results suggest that it is very necessary in this research to increase the sample size and that other neural pathways related to vestibular inputs and cognitive areas should be investigated in the future.

Topics

• impedance spectroscopy