Role of Vestibular-Evoked Myogenic Potential to Assess Noise Exposure: A Systematic Review

The objective is to determine the effect of noise exposure on the vestibular system using vestibular-evoked myogenic potential (VEMP). A literature search was conducted in January 2023 according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines and the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Fourteen original clinical research articles were selected based on the objectives and selection criteria. All studies were at level III evidence. Altogether, 462 participants aged between 15 and 67 years were found. There was a significant male predominance (84.4%). Three studies reported acute noise exposure, while 11 reported chronic noise exposure. Cervical VEMP (cVEMP) was performed in 14 studies, and ocular VEMP (oVEMP) in 3 studies. Abnormal cVEMP and oVEMP were reported in all included studies, 58.85% and 44.3%, respectively. A meta-analysis was not performed because of the heterogeneity of the patient groups and the variability of the methods used to measure outcomes. Analysis of the result indicates that noise exposure of both acute and chronic nature alters both cVEMP and oVEMP, as shown in all studies. However, the data must be interpreted cautiously due to heterogeneity across the studies until randomized controlled studies with a large sample size are carried out.

Cite this article as: Saniasiaya J, Kulasegarah J, Seluakumaran K, Narayanan P. Role of vestibular-evoked myogenic potential to assess noise exposure: A systematic review. B-ENT. 2025;21(2):56-65.