Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 8, 2026

Author Spotlight: Development of a Laser-Induced Shock Wave Animal Model Without Tympanic Membrane Perforation
Published on: March 1, 2024
Internal Jugular Vein Compression: A Novel Approach to Mitigate Blast Induced Hearing Injury
Brian Sindelar1, Michael Shinners, Sydney Sherman
1*Department of Neurosurgery, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, Illinois †Department of Neurosurgery, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida ‡Department of Surgery, Division of Otolaryngology §Department of Neurophysiology, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, Illinois ||Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Hypothesis:
Internal jugular vein (IJV) compression before blast injury will lead to reduced risk of traumatic hearing injury following exposure to a blast injury.
Background:
IJV compression and its effects on not only intracranial, but also intracochlear pressure may potentiate blast induced hearing injury, therefore, precluding its use as a prophylactic therapy for blast induced traumatic brain injury.
Methods:
Twenty Sprague Dawley rats were exposed to a 17.9 ± 0.4 PSI (195.8 dB SPL) right sided shock wave in which 10 had application of a custom IJV compression collar before injury. All rodents received baseline and post blast injury otoacoustic emission (OAE) and auditory brainstem response (ABR) testing followed by cochlear histology.
Results:
IJV compression was shown to significantly reduce ABR and OAE threshold shifts in comparison to the non-intervention group by: 14.9 ± 4.8 dB (right ear ABR 0.5 kHz Day 1 post blast, p = 0.01), 13.1 ± 4.9 dB (right ear ABR 4 kHz Day 1 post blast, p = 0.04), 16.5 ± 4.5 dB (right ear ABR click Day 1 post blast, p = 0.003), 12.1 ± 4.6 dB (right ear ABR click Day 6 post blast, p = 0.04), and 14.0 ± 3.2 dB (both ears OAE 3.2-10 kHz, p < 0.0001). Also, those animals with collar application had a greater number of total hair cells per mm from 70 to 100% distance from the cochlear apex following blast injury in comparison to those without intervention (blast: 211.8 ± 27.5 versus blast+collar: 355.5 ± 39.5 [p = 0.0002]).
Conclusion:
This study supports the use of IJV compression in a pre-clinical model as a new prophylactic mechanism to combat blast induced hearing injury.
Related Concept Videos
Venous Thrombosis III: Interprofessional Care
Veins of Head and Neck
On the other hand, the vertebral veins, unlike their arterial counterparts, are not primarily responsible for brain drainage. Instead, they drain the cervical vertebrae, spinal cord, and some small...
Mitral Regurgitation III: Medical Management
Aneurysm IV: Nursing Management
Aortic Regurgitation III: Medical Management
Venous Thrombosis II: Clinical Manifestations and Diagnostic Studies

