Background and Aim: Vestibular-Evoked Myogenic Potentials (VEMP) is a new vestibular function test that assesses the vestibulospinal pathway.
Although many studies have investigated different inner ear pathologies by using VEMP, the role of this test in brainstem pathologies and demyelinating processes of central nervous system is still remained to be defined and discussed.
The aim of this study was to compare VEMP in multiple sclerosis patients and normal individuals.
Methods: We carried out a cross-sectional study in 21 patients (15 female, 6 male) fulfilling diagnostic criteria of clinically definite multiple sclerosis, and 20 normal individuals (15 female, 6 male). ages ranging from 17 to 50 years old.
The VEMPs was recorded using 500 Hz short tone burst (STB). The p13 and n23 latencies and p13-n23 peak-to-peak amplitude were the studied parameters.
Results: VEMP results were abnormal in 47.6% of patients. P13 latency and p13-n23 peak to peak amplitude in both ears showed significant difference between the two groups (p<0.05). P13 latency was delayed in 14 ears (of nine patients). VEMPs were unilaterally absent in two patients.
Conclusion: VEMPs thus represent a new method of the brainstem in multiple sclerosis disease. VEMP abnormalities in these patients might be due to impairment in vestibulocollic pathway.

Background and Aim: The dichotic auditory-verbal memory test (DAVMT) is useful in detecting auditory-verbal memory deficits and differences in memory function between the brain hemispheres. The purpose of this study was to prepare the Persian version of dichotic auditory-verbal memory test and to obtain its results in 18- to 25-year old normal individuals of both genders in Iran.
Methods: The Persian version of dichotic auditory-verbal memory test like the original one consisted of 18 lists of ten words. The lists were arranged such that 10 words were presented to one ear, with the reverse words simultaneously were presented to the other ear, constituting a dichotic test situation. After preparing the 18 lists, content validity was assessed by a panel of eight experts and then, the words of each list were recorded on CD in a dichotic mode. Thereafter, it was performed on one hundred and ten normal individuals with ages ranging from 18 to 25 years (mean age: 21.3 SD 1.9 years) and the scores were recorded on a specially designed scoring sheet.
Results: There was no significant difference between mean scores of 18 lists of the dichotic auditory-verbal memory test. The overall mean of CVI was 96% for the 18 lists and the mean score of dichotic auditory-verbal memory test was 6.5 SD 1.0 in the normal group.
Conclusion: Based on the obtained results, the Persian version of dichotic auditory-verbal memory test has a good content validity and can be used in detecting the auditory-verbal memory deficits.

Background and Aim: Auditory memory plays an important role in developing language skills and learning. The aim of the present study was to assess auditory verbal memory and learning performance of 18-30 year old healthy adults using the Persian version of the Rey Auditory-Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT).
Methods: This descriptive, cross-sectional study was coducted on seventy 18-30 year old healthy females with the mean age of 23.2 years and a standard deviation (SD) of 2.4 years. Different aspects of memory, like immediate recall, delayed recall, recognition, forgetting rate, interference and learning, were assessed using the Persian version of RAVLT.
Results: Mean score increased from 8.94 (SD=1.91) on the first trial to 13.70 (SD=1.18) on the fifth trial. Total learning mean score was 12.19 (SD=1.08), and mean learning rate was 4.76. Mean scores of the participants on the delayed recall and recognition trials were 13.47 (SD=1.2), and 14.72 (SD=0.53), respectively. The proactive and retroactive interference scores were 0.86 and 0.96, respectively. The forgetting rate score was 1.01 and the retrieval score was 0.90.
Conclusion: The auditory-verbal memory and learning performance of healthy Persian-speaking females was similar to the performance of the same population in other countries. Therefore, the Persian version of RAVLT is valid for assessment of memory function in the Persian-speaking female population.

Background and Aim: Dichotic listening means presentation of two different auditory stimuli to each ear simultaneously. This study deals with the development of Persian version of Bergen dichotic listening test and its preliminary results on auditory attention and language laterality in adults with normal hearing.

Methods: Persian version of the Bergen dichotic listening test was instructed by six consonant-vowel syllables to evaluate three conditions of non-forced attention, attention to right and attention to left ears separately. Then, it was performed on 54 right-handed young adults with normal hearing and the mean age of 23.24 (SD=2.78) years from both genders.

Results: Frequency of correct response in the right ear was higher significantly in two conditions of non-forced attention (83.3%) and attention to the right ear (98.1%), and also was higher significantly in the left ear (-79.6%) in attention to the left (p<0.0001). Laterality index was 31.33% in non-forced attention, 73.30% in attention to the right and -37.50% in attention to the left which was significantly different (p<0.0001).

Conclusion: Right ear advantage was revealed in non-forced attention that was altered with selective attention to the right and left remarkably result from the effect of top-down processing of brain cortex on bottom-top processing of speech stimulus. These preliminary results showed the performance of Bergen dichotic listening test to test auditory attention and language laterality.