Sensitivity of Vestibular System to Sounds

Abstract

Background and Aims: All vestibular organs (saccule, utricle, and semicircular canals) had sound sensitivity to loud low-frequency tones (LFT). The sensitivity of the vestibular system to sounds (SVSS) can be measured by cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (cVEMPs). This study aims to investigate the contribution of the human vestibular system to auditory processing. Materials and Methods: The research was conducted in 2022–2023 by searching English language databases. The criterion for selecting documents was their overlap with the aim of this work. The animal studies were not included. Principal Results: The saccule is the only organ of the vestibular system that responds to sounds transmitted through the air and bone-conducted pathways. While the utricle and semicircular canals are only stimulated by vibrations that are transferred through the bone conduction. Due to the greater SVSS that is transmitted through the bone, it can cause false air-bone gaps in pure tone audiograms with severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss. The SVSS can also increase with auditory training and listening/speaking practice. Major Conclusions: The SVSS may improve ipsilateral acoustic reflex thresholds of the middle ears to 500HZ. The afferent nerve fibers of the vestibular system are extended to auditory bundles and cooperate to the building of auditory brainstem responses to air-conducted LFT. The afferent fibers also project to the frontal, parietal, temporal, insula, and cingulate cortex. The SVSS can be effective in neural synchronization of the central auditory system; it cooperates to the discrimination of the human voice pitch and music rhythm. The SVSS can enhance the perception/production of self-voice and self-other-voice mechanisms in deaf people and normal-hearing persons. The cVEMPs should be done in routine assessments of all patients with hearing impairments. Finally, the human vestibular system contributes to auditory processing.