Efficacy of 100 Hz Sound Stimulation on Saccular Dysfunction in Meniere's Disease.

BACKGROUND:Although various medical remedies have been attempted to alleviate the symptoms of Meniere's disease (MD), the risk-benefit ratios of these various treatments remain debatable. OBJECTIVE:We investigated the efficacy of sound stimulation of 100 Hz for treating vestibular dysfunction in patients with Meniere's disease (MD). MATERIALS AND METHODS:Patients with definitive MD with intractable vestibular symptoms and endolymphatic hydrops (EH) in the inner ear were evaluated. The experimental group received sound stimulation of 75 dB at a frequency of 100 Hz for 5 min, and the control group received sound stimulation of 75 dB at a frequency of 250 Hz for 5 min. Cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials (cVEMPs) were measured before and after each sound stimulation, and the results of the clinical tests were compared between the two patient groups. RESULTS:Significant increases in cVEMP amplitudes were observed after sound stimulation of 100 Hz in ears with vestibular endolymphatic hydrops, although no such improvement was observed in the control group. CONCLUSION:Sound stimulation of 75 dB at a frequency of 100 Hz leads to improvement in cVEMP amplitude in patients with definitive MD. Adequate sound stimulation might be a new method for treating vestibular dysfunction associated with MD.