title: The effect of noise exposure on the cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of noise exposure on the cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential (cVEMP) in individuals with asymmetric noise-induced sensorineural hearing loss (NIHL).
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional observational study was used to compare cVEMP characteristics in 43 individuals with a history of noise exposure greater in one ear (e.g., the left ear of a right-handed rifle shooter) and asymmetric sensorineural hearing loss consistent with the history of noise exposure and in 14 age-matched controls. The characteristics of hearing loss were examined further for the noise-exposed participants with abnormal cVEMPs and the noise-exposed participants with normal cVEMPs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-three percent of the noise-exposed participants had abnormal cVEMPs, whereas cVEMPs were present and symmetrical in 100% of the age-matched controls, and cVEMP threshold was greater in the noise-exposed group than in the control group. Abnormal cVEMPs occurred most often in the ears with poorer hearing (or greater NIHL), and the noise-exposed participants who had abnormal cVEMPs had poorer high-frequency pure-tone thresholds (greater NIHL) and greater interaural high-frequency pure-tone threshold differences than the noise-exposed participants with normal cVEMPs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings are consistent with previous studies that suggest that the sacculocollic pathway may be susceptible to noise-related damage. There is emerging evidence that the severity of NIHL is associated with the presence or absence of cVEMPs.
authors.affiliation: VA Medical Center, Mountain Home, TN 37684, USA. faith.akin@va.gov
authors.forename: Faith W
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Akin
authors.forename: Owen D
authors.initials: OD
authors.lastname: Murnane
authors.forename: Joanna W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Tampas
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Clinard
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Byrd
authors.forename: J Kip
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Kelly
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006317:Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009623:Noise, Occupational / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012444:Saccule and Utricle / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012665:Semicircular Canals / Q000503:physiopathology*; D058585:Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials