Vestibulocochlear system and quality of life in musicians: a study on the effects of auditory exposurePurpose To evaluate and compare the effects of sound exposure on the vestibulocochlear system and the quality of life among musicians.
Methods Fifty-six individuals participated, including 28 musicians and 28 non-musicians, aged 18 to 45 years, of both genders. Participants underwent medical history assessment, basic audiological evaluation, vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP), and exclusively, WHOQOL-Bref questionnaire.
Results Professional and enthusiast musicians participated, showing increased auditory thresholds at 3 and 4 kHz frequencies and considerably satisfactory quality of life. There was significance in cervical VEMP latencies and the latency of the P15 wave in the left ocular VEMP of the study group compared to the control group. VEMP demonstrated larger waves bilaterally in men compared to women.
Conclusion It was concluded that sound exposure, within tolerance limits in terms of time and intensity, was capable of providing auditory, vestibular, and quality of life benefits for musicians.
Keywords:
Hearing; Vestibular Function Tests; Quality of Life; Music; Noise
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Caption: ADWP = auditory discomfort when playing; VDWP = vestibular discomfort when playing; DUSNE = difficulty understanding speech in noisy environments; ILS = intolerance to loud sounds; TTS = temporary threshold shift; n = sample number
Caption: cVEMP = cervical vestibular reflex; oVEMP = ocular vestibular reflex; CG = control group; SG = study group; red = right ear; blue = left ear; *statistically significant difference