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Assessment of non-motor hearing symptoms in hemifacial spasm using magnetoencephalography

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Abstract

Background

Hemifacial spasm patients often suffer from non-motor symptoms such as tinnitus. These non-motor symptoms are known to be associated with changes in cortical activity. Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is a technique that can record brain activity noninvasively. To determine the usefulness of MEG in assessing changes in cortical activity associated with non-motor hearing symptoms in hemifacial spasm patients.

Methods

We used MEG to evaluate the reactivity of the auditory cortex in 26 hemifacial spasm patients. We divided patients into a subjective tinnitus group (n = 10) and a non-tinnitus group (n = 16). The latency and amplitude of the most prominent deflection, N100m, was compared between the two groups.

Results

There was a significant difference in the pure tone audiogram on the spasm side compared with the non-spasm side. After stimulation on the spasm side, the amplitude of the N100m peak in the contralateral hemisphere was lower in the subjective tinnitus group than in the non-tinnitus group.

Conclusions

Our results indicate that MEG can detect differences in cortical activity between hemifacial spasm patients with and without tinnitus. This suggests that MEG can identify changes in cortical activity associated with non-motor symptoms.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Eun Jeong Kwon, RN, Sang Keum Park, RN, and Ester PohelKing, MD, for their assistance in preparing manuscript. This study was supported by a faculty research grant from Yonsei University College of Medicine (6-2009-0156).

Conflicts of interest

None.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurosurgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 134 Shinchon-Dong, Seodaemoon-Gu, 120-752, Seoul, Korea

    Young Seok Park, Bong Soo Kim, Dong Kyu Lee & Jin Woo Chang

  2. Department of Radiology, Severance Hospital, MEG Center, Severance Hospital Brain Korea 21 Project for Medical Science, Brain Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

    Seung-Koo Lee

  3. Center for Brain and Cognitive Science Research, Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science, Daejeon, Korea

    Hyuk Chan Kwon, Kiwoong Kim & Yong Ho Lee

  4. Department of Neurosurgery, Bundang CHA Medical Center, CHA University, Seongnam, Korea

    Young Seok Park

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  1. Young Seok Park
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Correspondence to Jin Woo Chang.

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Park, Y.S., Kim, B.S., Lee, D.K. et al. Assessment of non-motor hearing symptoms in hemifacial spasm using magnetoencephalography. Acta Neurochir 154, 509–515 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00701-011-1231-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00701-011-1231-y

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