Stabilometric changes due to exposure to firearm noise in the Brazilian Army

Abstract

Success in precision activities such as shooting depends on the subtle control of body motion. To analyze the influence on stabilometric signal responses for the motor task of aiming a pistol with different cognitive demands and levels of exposure to high sound pressure in Brazilian Army personnel. This cross-sectional analytical study used stabilometry to quantify the behavior of the body during motor, cognitive, and auditory tasks. Twenty-five volunteers recruited to participate in the study completed a questionnaire, underwent anthropometric evaluation and cinemetry, and scored the perceived difficulty during exposure to a sound pressure of 132 dB while using protective equipment. A significant increase in the displacement (p=0,02), anteroposterior amplitude (p=0,01), anteroposterior velocity (p=0,01), and the perceived difficulty scale (p=0,03) between Situation 1 (aiming without other cognitive action or environmental noise) and Situation 3 (shooting noise and progressive counting) was confirmed. number of shots heard). Correlation between the perceived difficulty scale and the variables of displacement (p=0,01), anteroposterior amplitude (p=0,01), area (p=0,006) and anteroposterior mean frequency (p=0,01) were observed. The accuracy of aiming events correlated with the median lateral median frequency (p=0,02). Stabilometric signals demonstrated increased total displacement, anteroposterior amplitude, and anteroposterior velocity in the presence of high sound pressure levels. These results indicate the need for future studies to investigate the underlying mechanisms of possible vestibular damage induced by noise.