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Abstract Vertigo or dizziness are common symptoms, often reported by patients known to have epileptic seizures. The vestibular symptoms in epileptic patients may occur as an aura symptoms or as side effects of anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) or may be related to a second comorbid disease (e.g.,migranous vertigo) (118). Subjects in the current study were divided into two groups: the control group : included 30 normal individuals not complaining from any dizzy symptoms with age range between 20- 40 years and the study group : included 30 subjects with confirmed diagnosis of epilepsy through neurology specialist according to the criteria of international league against epilepsy (107), with age range between 20-40 years with exclusion of patients suffering from other neurological disorders, systemic diseases, history of otovestibular disorder e.g Meniere’s disease, conductive hearing loss and cervical spine problems. All subjects in the study group were submitted to full history taking (duration and frequency of epileptic attack, treatment, and audiovestibular symptoms), neurological examination, otoscopic and basic audiological evaluation in the form of pure tone audiometry in the frequency range of (250 to 8000 HZ for air conduction and 500-4000Hz for bone conduction) and immittancemetry to exclude conductive hearing loss before VEMP testing. Vestibular symptoms were evident in (67 %) of patients, (37%) of epileptic cases had imbalance (3 cases had sense of imbalance as an aura symptoms and 8 cases had imbalance which was represented on starting administration of antiepileptic drugs), 30% of cases had vertigo that occurred spontaneously as aura symptoms in 4 patients and was related to starting administration antiepileptic therapy in 5 patients. Aural fullness was reported in 2 patients. This study showed that 39/60 ears (65 %) in the study group had cVEMP abnormalities either prolonged latencies in 22/60 ears (37%), high amplitude in 28/60 ears (47%), low amplitude in 9/60 ears (15%) and amplitude asymmetry in 5/30 patient (17%). In oVEMP, 32/60 ears (53%) had abnormalities either prolonged latency in 19/60 ears (32%), high amplitude 14/60 ears (23%), low amplitude in 3/60 ears (5%) and amplitude asymmetry in 3/60 ears (10%). Abnormal c and oVEMP was reported in 28/60 ears (46.7%). All patients with vestibular symptoms had also abnormal VEMP results either ocular or cervical potentials. There was no statistical significant relationship between c & o VEMP abnormalities and age, gender (p > 0.05). Vestibular abnormalities were frequently reported in epileptic patients in the current study which may be related to the severity and control of epilepsy. |