Objective To compared the electrophysiological features in peripheral vertigo and central vertigo. Methods The electronystagmograph ( ENG ) and brainstem auditory evoked potentials ( BAEP ) were applied in peripheral vertigo group(85 cases) and central vertigo group(61 cases).Result ENG abnomal was in 67 cases (78.8%) in peripheral vertigo group.Overshoot or undershoot of dysmetria test was in 6 cases ( 7.1%);spontaneous nystagmus was in 5 cases(5.9%);abnormal of gaze test was in 16 cases(18.8%); eye tracking test typeⅠwas in 42 case(49.4%), typeⅡwas in 17 cases(20.0%), and typeⅢwas in 8 cases(9.4%); bilateral asymmetry of optokinetic nystagmus test was in 19 cases(22.4%);positioning nystagmus was in 51 cases(60.0%);abnormal of cold and hot test was in 31 cases(36.5%).ENG abnomal was 42 cases(49.4%) in central vertigo group.Overshoot or undershoot of dysmetria test was in 19 case(31.1%);spontaneous nystagmus was in 13 cases (21.3%);abnormal of gaze test was in 23 cases(37.7%);eye tracking test typeⅠwas in 35 cases(57.4%), typeⅡwas in 13 cases(21.3%), and typeⅢwas in 8 cases(13.1%);bilateral asymmetry of optokinetic nystagmus test was in 33 cases(54.1%); positioning nystagmus was in 2 cases(3.3%); abnormal of cold and hot test was in 6 cases(9.8%).Compared with peripheral vertigo group, the abnormal rates of optokinetic nystagmus test, gaze test, eye tracking test, optokinetic nystagmus test in central vertigo group were significantly increased, and the abnormal rates of positioning nystagmus, cold and hot test in central vertigo group were significantly decreased (all P<0.05). There were 32 cases(37.6%) in peripheral vertigo group with BAEP abnormal, and 31 cases(50.8%) were in central vertigo group with BAED abnormal.Compared with central vertigo group, the latency ofⅠwave andⅠ-Ⅲwave latency delayed in peripheral vertigo group were significantly increased, the latency ofⅤwave andⅠ-Ⅴwave latency delayed were significantly decreased ( all P<0.05 ) .Conclusions There are high sensitivity of optokinetic nystagmus test, gaze test, eye tracking test, optokinetic nystagmus test of ENG to the diagnosis of central vertigo. There are high sensitivity of positioning nystagmus, cold and hot test to the diagnosis of peripheral vertigo.The positive rate of BAEP is relatively lower, but it can provide objective foundation for location of vertigo patients.