Comparison of bucket test and mobile application in pediatric utricular function assessment: a cross-sectional study

The Visual Vertical, an iOS mobile application, enables a more practical implementation of the subjective visual vertical (SVV) test compared to the bucket method.

To determine the effectiveness of the iOS mobile application on SVV in children.

A bucket test specifically designed for SVV assessment was administered to 44 children aged 11 to 14 years. The bucket was rotated 45° from the neutral (0°) head position in both clockwise and counter-clockwise rotations. Participants were instructed to indicate the moment they perceived the line inside the bucket as vertically aligned after 10 s. Angular deviations were recorded using both a protractor and an iOS application. Each participant underwent five trials in each rotational direction, and the mean was calculated to determine the SVV deviation angle.

SVV deviation angle was determined as 0.92° in clockwise rotation and 0.96° in counter-clockwise rotation in the bucket test; and as 0.97° and 1.03° in the iOS application, respectively. No statistically significant difference was observed between SVV deviation angles in both applications (p > 0.05).

Visual Vertical, an iOS mobile application, offers a practical and accessible alternative to the bucket method for assessing utricular function in children.