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Updated: Dec 15, 2025

Cochlear Implant Surgery and Electrically-evoked Auditory Brainstem Response Recordings in C57BL/6 Mice
Published on: January 9, 2019
Impact of cochlear implantation on the function of the three semicircular canals
Joost J A Stultiens1, Hieke W Kieft1, Emmanuel A M Mylanus1
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Objective:
To assess the effect of cochlear implantation on the function of the semicircular canals (SCC) and on experienced vestibular symptoms. Second, to determine the relation between vestibular test results.
Design:
Retrospective cohort study assessing absolute and categorised results of caloric irrigation test, video Head Impulse Test (vHIT) and Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) before and after cochlear implantation.Study sample: 192 patients, aged ≥7 years old, without preoperative areflexia.
Results:
Mean maximum slow phase velocity decreased with 3.1°/s and 4.7°/s for warm and cold caloric irrigation respectively. About 37.4% of the patients deteriorated one or more categories on caloric testing. Complete caloric postoperative areflexia was found in 6.2%. Mean vHIT gain decreased with 0.06, 0.04 and 0.05 for anterior, lateral and posterior SCC, respectively. Seven patients (7.7%) acquired an abnormal gain value for the anterior SCC. Only mean score on DHI's physical subdomain rose significantly (1.4 points). Overall, 9.0% of the patients deteriorated one or two categories on DHI. Only few weak correlations were found between caloric test, vHIT and DHI shifts.
Conclusions:
Although mean objective and subjective-physical vestibular deteriorations were significant, its clinical impact seems limited. However, 9% of patients experience vestibular deterioration, thus, advocate assessment. Vestibular test results show no or merely weak mutual correlations.
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