Auditory Evoked Potential (AEP) testing is used to determine if specific parts of the vestibular system are functioning properly. Evoked potentials, sometimes called evoked responses, record the amount of time the nerves take to respond to electrical and sound stimulations. This can be useful in the diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis and many other neurological disorders. It can also be used to rule out the presence of disease or damage to the central nervous system.
The central nervous system consists of the spinal cord and the brain. There are two sets of circuitry that travel through the spine to the brain. The first set sends signals to the brain, the second sends signals from the brain. When certain types of symptoms present themselves, an evoked potential study can be performed to measure the health of this circuitry, or the VIIIth nerve pathway. An evoked potential will allow you to see if there has been a "block" along the pathways that lead to the brain. Common "blocks" include tumors, infections, and degeneration to the nerve itself.
