Otolith Function in Young Skilled Football Players

Background and Aim: Regular physical activities, including sports, are associated with improved balance function. The objectives of our study were to conduct cervical Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials (cVEMPs) and ocular VEMPs (oVEMPs) in young adult football players and to compare the test results with those who are not involved in regular physical activities as the control group. Methods: We recruited 11 young football players (9 right-leg and two left-leg dominant) who have been playing football regularly since childhood and have participated in inter-school or college/university-level football tournaments. The age-matched control group consisted of 11 healthy participants not involved in any physical activities regularly or as a hobby. Participants in both groups underwent cVEMP and oVEMP tests in both ears. Results: The peak-to-peak amplitude of both cVEMP and oVEMP were higher in football players than in the control group. The amplitude for left ear stimulation was higher than the right ear for both cVEMP and oVEMP in football players and it reached statistical significance for oVEMP in left ear stimulation (p<0.05). The n10 latency of oVEMP in both right and left ear stimulations and the p13 latency of cVEMP in left ear stimulation was significantly shorter in football players compared to the control group (p<0.05). Conclusion: Regular football players have stronger vestibule-collic and translational Vestibulo-Ocular Reflexes (t-VOR). The reflex strength, measured as the higher peak-to-peak amplitude of VEMPs, might also be influenced by factors like leg/eye dominance.Keywords: Vestibular function; football; adults; vestibular evoked myogenic potentials; balance function