Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 21, 2025
04:32
Sound Source Localization Testing in Single-sided Deafness Following Bone Conduction Intervention
Published on: December 20, 2024
448
Influence of Hearing Rehabilitation With Active Middle Ear and Bone Conduction Implants on Postural Control
Ingmar Seiwerth1, Antonia Brylok1, René Schwesig2
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany.
Frontiers in Neurology
|June 1, 2022
Summary
Hearing implants improve balance in some adults, particularly during walking. Objective measures showed benefits in specific tasks, suggesting hearing rehabilitation influences postural control through sensory reweighting.
Area of Science:
- Auditory neuroscience
- Biomechanics
- Rehabilitation medicine
Background:
- Audition plays a role in maintaining balance alongside visual, proprioceptive, and vestibular inputs.
- Hearing loss can potentially impact postural control and balance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of hearing rehabilitation using active middle ear and bone conduction implants on postural control in adults.
- To assess objective and subjective changes in balance with hearing implants under various conditions.
Main Methods:
- A prospective study involving 26 adults with hearing impairments using Vibrant Soundbridge (VSB) or Bonebridge (BB) implants.
- Postural control was evaluated using cranio-corpography (CCG), the Standard Balance Deficit Test (SBDT), and a force plate system.
- Measurements were taken in both best-aided (BA) and unaided (UA) conditions, with and without noise presentation.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in CCG measures between BA and UA conditions.
- Trunk sway increased when standing on foam but decreased during walking in the BA condition.
- Selective postural subsystem analysis indicated an increased vestibular component in the BA condition.
- Subjective reports indicated that approximately half of participants felt improved task performance with hearing implants.
Conclusions:
- Hearing rehabilitation with active middle ear and bone conduction implants can objectively improve postural control in specific tasks, such as walking.
- Subjective improvements in task performance were reported by a significant portion of participants.
- Trunk sway analysis provided insights into multisensory reweighting mechanisms influenced by hearing rehabilitation.
Related Concept Videos
01:15Equilibrium and Balance
5.1K
The inner ear assumes dual functionalities of auditory perception and equilibrium maintenance. The vestibule is the organ responsible for balance. This organ contains mechanoreceptors, specifically hair cells, endowed with stereocilia, which aid in deciphering information regarding the position and motion of our heads. Two intrinsic components, the utricle and saccule, help perceive head position, while the semicircular canals track head movement. Neurological messages initiated in the...
5.1K
01:17Auditory Perception
602
The auditory system is essential for sound perception, utilizing various critical structures. When sound waves enter the outer ear, they travel through the ear canal and cause the eardrum to vibrate. These vibrations are then transmitted to the middle ear, where three tiny bones – the malleus, incus, and stapes – amplify the sound. This amplification is crucial, as it ensures that the sound vibrations are strong enough to be conveyed to the inner ear. These vibrations then reach the...
602