Vestibular and balance function is often impaired in children with profound unilateral sensorineural hearing loss

Children with unilateral deafness could have concurrent vestibular dysfunction which would be associated with balance deficits and potentially impair overall development. The prevalence of vestibular and balance deficits remains to be defined in these children. Twenty children with unilateral deafne...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Hearing research 2019-02, Vol.372, p.52-61
Main Authors: Sokolov, Meirav, Gordon, Karen A., Polonenko, Melissa, Blaser, Susan I., Papsin, Blake C., Cushing, Sharon L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Audiometry, Pure-Tone
Auditory Threshold
Balance
Child
Child, Preschool
Children
Cohort Studies
Equilibrium
Female
Hearing Loss, Sensorineural - complications
Hearing Loss, Sensorineural - diagnostic imaging
Hearing Loss, Sensorineural - physiopathology
Hearing Loss, Unilateral - complications
Hearing Loss, Unilateral - diagnostic imaging
Hearing Loss, Unilateral - physiopathology
Humans
Male
Pediatric
Postural Balance - physiology
Retrospective Studies
Sensorineural hearing loss
Tomography, X-Ray Computed
Unilateral hearing loss
Vestibular Diseases - etiology
Vestibular Diseases - physiopathology
Vestibular function
Vestibular Function Tests
Vestibule, Labyrinth - diagnostic imaging
Vestibule, Labyrinth - physiopathology
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Summary:Children with unilateral deafness could have concurrent vestibular dysfunction which would be associated with balance deficits and potentially impair overall development. The prevalence of vestibular and balance deficits remains to be defined in these children. Twenty children with unilateral deafness underwent comprehensive vestibular and balance evaluation. Retrospective review revealed that more than half of the cohort demonstrated some abnormality of the vestibular end organs (otoliths and horizontal canal), with the prevalence of end organ specific dysfunction ranging from 17 to 48% depending on organ tested and method used. In most children, impairment occurred only on the deaf side. Children with unilateral deafness also displayed significantly poorer balance function than their normal hearing peers. The prevalence of vestibular dysfunction in children with unilateral deafness is high and similar to that of children with bilateral deafness. Vestibular and balance evaluation should be routine and the functional impact of combined vestibulo-cochlear sensory deficits considered. •There is a high prevalence of vestibular dysfunction in unilateral deafness.•Significantly poorer balance skills are also observed in unilateral deafness.•Vestibular and balance evaluation should be considered in this group.
ISSN:0378-5955
1878-5891
DOI:10.1016/j.heares.2018.03.032