Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology, cilt.10, sa.4, 2025 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate changes that may occur in the peripheral vestibular system due to inner ear barotrauma in self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA) divers exposed to hyperbaric environments. Methods: This prospective study was conducted on 45 healthy volunteers. In this study, after otologic and audiological examinations were performed on two groups as control (n = 24) and SCUBA (n = 21), cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (c-VEMP) were evaluated for peripheral vestibular system functions. The SCUBA group comprised individuals who had completed a minimum of 75 dives and held a World Confederation of Underwater Activities 2 certificate. Statistical analysis was performed on immittance metric measurements, pure-tone hearing thresholds (0.5–18 kHz), and P1-N1 latencies and amplitudes from c-VEMP tests. Results: The SCUBA group demonstrated statistically significant differences in pure-tone low and high frequency thresholds within the normal hearing range compared to the control group (p = 0.001). The c-VEMP responses showed statistically significant prolongation of P1-N1 latencies in right ears and N1 latencies in left ears in the SCUBA group (p < 0.05), along with a statistically significant increase in amplitudes (p = 0.0001). Conclusion: Based on our findings, the increased amplitudes in c-VEMP responses observed in SCUBA divers exposed to hyperbaric environments suggest enhanced saccular plasticity, likely resulting from barotrauma effects on otolith structures. Level of Evidence: 3.