Electrophysiological device and method for diagnosis of acute unilateral otitis media (AOM)

A method of diagnosis of unilateral Acute Otitis Media (AOM), the method comprising:

• a. placing (110) a monopolar probe on a first predefined location of a subject's tongue in a territory innervated by a chorda tympani nerve (CTN) associated with a first ear;
• b. applying (112), by an Electrogustometer (EGM) unit, a stimulus in a first strength by the monopolar probe to the first predefined location;
• c. measuring (113), by an electroencephalogram (EEG) unit, a response to the stimulus;
• d. changing (114), by the EGM unit, the strength of the stimulus applied by the monopolar probe to the first predefined location based on the measured response until the measured response reaches a threshold value;
• e. determining (116), by the EEG unit a first stimulus strength at the threshold value for the first predefined location;
• f. repeating (118) steps a-e for a second predefined location of the subject's tongue in a territory innervated by the CTN associated with a second ear, to determine a second stimulus strength at the threshold value for the second predefined location;
• and
• g. diagnosing (120) unilateral AOM based on a difference between the determined first and second stimulus strengths for the first and second locations.