/Objectives : Pregnancy involves significant hormonal, cardiovascular, and physiological shifts that may potentially affect the vestibular system. The utricle and saccule, the two primary otolith organs, are responsible for detecting linear acceleration and maintaining equilibrium....
This study provides baseline VEMP reference data in pregnancy; clinicians should be aware that pregnancy may affect vestibular test results, but changes in routine vestibular testing protocols are not yet justified.
Understanding how pregnancy affects vestibular function is important for correctly interpreting balance test results in pregnant patients and for explaining dizziness that commonly arises during pregnancy.
- 01cVEMP and oVEMP are objective tests measuring the function of the saccule and utricle (inner-ear balance organs).
- 02Pregnancy is associated with self-reported dizziness, but its effect on objective vestibular tests is understudied.
- 03The study provides normative-style VEMP data in a pregnant population.
- 04Findings may help clinicians interpret vestibular test results in pregnant patients.
- 05No current clinical guidelines address VEMP interpretation specifically in pregnancy.
Pregnancy produces measurable changes in cVEMP and/or oVEMP responses.
studypartially supported- PMID
- 42345620
- DOI
- 10.3390/audiolres16030080.
- Journal
- Audiology Research
- Publication type
- research_article
- Evidence level
- 4
- Population
- Pregnant women
- Intervention
- Cervical and ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potential (cVEMP/oVEMP) testing
Primary outcomes
cVEMP amplitude and latency in pregnancy; oVEMP amplitude and latency in pregnancy