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Vestibulo-ocular reflex and balance maturation in healthy children aged from six to twelve years

A Charpiot1, S Tringali, E Ionescu

  • 1Service d'ORL, Centre Hospitalier Lyon-Sud, Hospices Civils deLyon, Pierre-Bénite, France.

Audiology & Neuro-Otology
|November 7, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Children aged 6-12 show developing vestibular-ocular reflexes (VOR) and balance. Younger children have higher VOR gain, while older children utilize vestibular input more for better balance, indicating ongoing maturation of these pathways.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric neurology
  • Vestibular system function
  • Childhood development

Background:

  • Vestibulo-ocular (VOR) and vestibulospinal pathways are crucial for balance and require neurological maturation.
  • Understanding these pathways' development in children is essential for assessing neurological health.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate vestibulo-ocular reflexes (VOR) and balance parameters in healthy children aged 6 to 12 years.
  • To assess the maturation of the VOR and vestibulospinal pathways during childhood.

Main Methods:

  • 147 healthy children aged 6-12 years were studied.
  • Videystagmography recorded visual VOR (VVOR) and VOR gain during sinusoidal rotation.
  • Computerized dynamic posturography (EquiTest) assessed postural control, equilibrium scores (ES), and sensory organization tests.

Main Results:

  • VOR gain was lower in older children (9-12 years) compared to younger children (6-8 years), while VVOR gain remained comparable.
  • Global equilibrium scores (ES) increased with age, with the vestibular component showing significant improvement.
  • Somesthetic and visual sensory components for postural control did not significantly change with age.

Conclusions:

  • Children aged 6-12 demonstrate ongoing maturation of both VOR and vestibulospinal pathways.
  • Younger children exhibit higher VOR gain, whereas older children increasingly rely on vestibular input for balance.
  • These findings highlight the dynamic development of the vestibular system throughout childhood.
Abstract

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