Vergence and Accommodation Deficits in Children and Adolescents with Vestibular Disorders

The high frequency of vergence and accommodation deficits coexisting in patients with a vestibular diagnosis merits a detailed visual function examination.

Deficits in vergence and saccades have been reported in patients with vestibular symptomatology. We retrospectively evaluated visual function deficits in adolescents with vestibular diagnoses and concussion.

The following inclusion criteria were used: vestibular and optometric evaluations between 2014 and 2020, 6 to 22 years old, and 20/25 best-corrected vision or better. Clinical criteria assigned vestibular diagnoses and concussion diagnoses. Vestibular diagnoses included vestibular migraine, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, and persistent postural perceptual dizziness. Visual function deficits were compared with a pediatric control group (30). Nonparametric statistics assessed differences in group distribution.

A total of 153 patients were included: 18 had vestibular diagnoses only, 62 had vestibular diagnoses related to concussion, and 73 had concussion only. Vergence deficits were more frequent in patients with vestibular diagnoses and concussion (42%) and concussion only (34%) compared with controls (3%; all P = .02). Accommodation deficits were more frequent in patients with vestibular diagnoses only (67%), vestibular diagnoses and concussion (71%), and concussion (58%) compared with controls (13%; all P = .002). Patients with vestibular migraine and concussion (21) had more vergence deficits (62%) and accommodation insufficiency (52%) than concussion-only patients (47%, P = .02; 29%, P = .04). Patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo and concussion (20) had lower positive fusional vergence and failed near vergence facility (35%) more than concussion-only patients (16%; P = .03).

Visual function deficits were observed at a high frequency in patients with a vestibular diagnosis with or without a concussion and particularly in vestibular migraine or benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. Visual function assessments may be important for patients with vestibular diagnoses.