Audiology students' opinions towards COVID-19 pandemic: occupational perspective and future expectations

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the audiology students' opinions regarding their occupational perspective and their future expectations during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: The study included 608 participants consisting of undergraduate and graduate students. Two question forms were used in the study. "Audiology students' opinions regarding their occupational perspective during the COVID-19 pandemic" containing 10 questions and "Audiology students' opinions regarding their future expectations" containing 8 questions were assessed.Results: While the COVID-19 pandemic did not affect employment opportunities in the field of audiology, it significantly contributed to the increase of professional risks. Online education did not contribute to the learning process and professional competencies. More graduate students stated that the COVID-19 did not affect employment opportunities and increased professional risks but facilitated access to information compared to undergraduate students (p < .05). Undergraduate students stated that COVID-19 contributed more to the reconsideration of career plans and opinions about the profession compared to graduate students (p < .05). COVID-19 pandemic had a more negative effect on graduate students' future expectations compared to undergraduate students (p < .05).Conclusion: To our view, the COVID-19 pandemic negatively influenced the occupational perspective of audiology students but did not affect their future expectations. While this process affected the career plan and perspective on the audiology profession of undergraduate students, it negatively impacted the professional risk perception and future expectations of graduate students

Saccular Function in Children with Cochlear Implant

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) in patients with unilateral cochlear implant and normal hearing individuals. Methods: The study group consisted of 20 children (9 girls, 11 boys; mean age 8.70 +/- 2.34 years; range 6-14 years) who underwent unilateral cochlear implantation. As controls, 12 healthy volunteer children (6 girls, 6 boys; mean age 8.91 +/- 2.77 years; range 6-14 years) also participated in the study. Testing of VEMP was performed in cochlear implant patients and in the control group. Results: Vestibular evoked myogenic potential recorded in both ears of control individuals was normal, while VEMP was bilaterally obtained in 10 (50\%) patients with cochlear implant. Two children (10\%) showed no responses bilaterally. The mean P1 latencies and VEMP thresholds showed significant difference between implanted ears of patients with cochlear implant and the control group (p < 0.05). The mean VEMP thresholds showed significant difference between non-implanted ears of patients with cochlear implant and the control group (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Some patients with cochlear implant show a saccular dysfunction. The addition of the VEMP test to the cochlear implantation test battery may provide useful information about the saccular function before and after surgery