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High-frequency semicircular canal deficit affects postural control in hearing-impaired children
P Reynard1, E Ionescu2, N Goulème3
1Service d'audiologie et explorations otoneurologiques, CHU Édouard-Herriot, Lyon, France; Université Claude-Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France; Paris Hearing Institute, Institut Pasteur, Inserm U1120, Paris, France.
European Annals of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Diseases
|October 19, 2020
Summary
Children with sensorineural hearing loss and a vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) deficit showed better postural control. Posturography can help screen for semicircular canal deficits in these children.
Area of Science:
- Vestibular system function
- Auditory system disorders
- Human motor control
Background:
- Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) can affect vestibular system development and function.
- The vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) is crucial for stabilizing gaze during head movements.
- Vestibular deficits may impact postural control (PC) in children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the impact of VOR gain deficit on PC in children with SNHL.
- To investigate the utility of posturography in identifying vestibular deficits in hearing-impaired children.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective study of 55 children (4-17 years) with SNHL.
- Video Head Impulse Test (vHIT) to assess semicircular canal function.
- Balance Quest posturographic platform for sensory organization testing.
Main Results:
- Children with SNHL and VOR deficit demonstrated significantly better spatial and temporal postural control parameters.
- Improved postural control was observed in the optokinetic with unstable platform (OKN-U) condition.
- Specific parameters like center of pressure oscillation area and mean speed, and spectral power index were analyzed.
Conclusions:
- Posturographic assessment in the OKN-U condition can effectively screen for semicircular canal deficits in hearing-impaired children.
- A VOR deficit appears to be a predictor of postural control deficits in this population.
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