Introduction: Fibromyalgia(FM)is a chronic pain syndrome characterized by generalized muscle pain.Despite of disease severity, several neurological symptoms including tinnitus, ear fullness, vertigo, and dizziness could be related.
Purpose: Evaluation of the audio- vestibular function in patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia.
Methods: The Study group involved sixty patients with fibromyalgia and the control group composed of sixty healthy individuals with age and gender matching to the study group. Pure tone audiometry, auditory brainstem-evoked potential test, cervical and ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potential (cVEMP and oVEMP), videonystagmography test (VNG)were done. Fall risk assessment of fibromyalgia patients was done by arabic version of Short Falls Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I).
Results: Mean hearing thresholds were significantly higher in cases at 250Hz, 4000Hz, and 8000Hz than in controls. The latencies of I, III, V, I-III, I-V and III-V waves were statistically significant prolonged in FM patients than the control.Also, patients with FM had statistically significant longer P13 and N23 latencies than the control group and significantly lower IP amplitude as regard cVEMP results. FES-I revealed that 16 (26.7%) of FM patients had low concern, 40 (66.7%) had moderate concern, and 4 (6.7%) had high concern.
Conclusion: FM was found to be associated with a high incidence of sensorineural hearing loss. Impairment of ABR, c VEMP and o VEMP indicate both auditory and vestibular system involvements. The hearing and balance functions work in combination and should be tested concurrently in systemic disorders such as fibromyalgia.