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Prevalence of abnormal vestibular responses in children with sensorineural hearing loss

Erik Gadsbøll1, Alexander Wolfhagen Erbs2, Dan Dupont Hougaard2,3

  • 1Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark. e@gadsboell.dk.

European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology : Official Journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : Affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
|February 14, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) in children is often linked to vestibular dysfunction. Even moderate SNHL can correlate with abnormal vestibular responses, suggesting structural damage.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric audiology and otolaryngology
  • Neuroscience and sensory systems research

Background:

  • Vestibular organ dysfunction significantly impacts children's balance.
  • Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) in children frequently co-occurs with abnormal vestibular responses.
  • The video head impulse test (vHIT) and vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs) enable comprehensive assessment of vestibular function.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of abnormal vestibular responses in children with SNHL.
  • To evaluate the utility of vHIT, cVEMP, and oVEMP in assessing vestibular function in this population.
  • To explore the correlation between the degree of SNHL and vestibular abnormalities.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective cross-sectional study of children aged 3-17 years with SNHL.
  • Utilized video head impulse test (vHIT), cervical (cVEMP), and ocular (oVEMP) vestibular evoked myogenic potentials.
  • Analyzed descriptive data and used t-tests to assess correlations between SNHL severity and vestibular responses.

Main Results:

  • 42 children (63 ears) with SNHL were included; mean BC PTA4 SNHL was 42.3 dB.
  • 28.6% of children exhibited at least one abnormal vestibular response.
  • More severe SNHL was significantly associated with multiple pathological vestibular examinations (p < 0.01).

Conclusions:

  • vHIT and VEMPs are feasible, rapid, and comfortable for pediatric vestibular assessment.
  • Moderate SNHL may be associated with abnormal vestibular responses, likely due to structural damage.
  • Standardized criteria for vHIT and VEMP interpretation are needed for robust comparisons.
Abstract

Keywords:
ChildrenOtologySNHLSensorineural hearing lossVEMPVestibular deficitsVestibular evoked myogenic potentialsVideo head impulse testvHIT

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