The Middle Ear Functions and Vestibular-Evoked Potentials in Springboard-Platform Diving Children

Abstract

Objective: To examine the middle ear and Eustachian tube functions of children who perform springboard and platform diving sports professionally and to evaluate the vestibulospinal and vestibuloocular reflexes of these athletes with evoked myogenic potentials.Methods: Two groups consist of athletes and a control group. Pure tone audiometry and speech audiometry, Eustachian tube function test and resonance frequency in multifrequency tympanometry, and ocular/cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials were performed in all participants.Results: Forty-five ears in 25 athletes were evaluated as non-patent Eustachian tube. In athlete girls, resonance frequency mean value was measured lower than the control group in both ears. Cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials amplitude mean values were statistically lower in athlete girls in the left ear (P = .031), and ocular vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials amplitude mean values were statistically higher in athlete boys in the left ear (P = .024). Conclusions: Repeated diving from very high meters platform did not cause significant difference on resonance frequency of the middle ear, but cause frequently common Eustachian tube dysfunction. Acrobatic movements on the air before the diving caused changes in ocular/cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials amplitude values of athletes. Eustachian tube function should be followed at different times of the year to see any effect on the performance of this sport. The importance of the vestibular system and the medial vestibulospinal tract in spring-board and platform diving athletes was emphasized first in this study. To monitor health of vestibular system and middle ear with different and more specific test materials may be important for their longer professional careers. However, this issue should be proven with future studies.