Computerized dynamic posturography in school-aged children with sensorineural hearing loss

Background According to embryological and anatomical connection between the cochlea and vestibular end-organs, children with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) may exhibit abnormalities of vestibular and balance function. Documentation of vestibular dysfunction in children with SNHL has a long and rich history indicating that 20–70% of children with SNHL demonstrate an element of vestibular end-organ dysfunction. Vestibular dysfunction was proved to correlate with severity of cochlear loss in many research works. Aim of the work To assess normative data of sensory organization test (SOT) and head shaking (HS) test according to age, weight, and height of children in control group and to detect any deviation from normal values of SOT and head shacking test in children with SNHL. Patients and methods This study was carried out in Audiology and Vestibular Units of Hearing and Speech Institute, Giza, Egypt, and included 50 children (29 males and 21 females). Their age range was from 6 to 12 years. They were divided into two groups: control group, which consisted of 20 children (12 males and eight females) with normal hearing, and case group, which consisted of 30 children (17 males and 13 females) with SNHL. All children underwent full basic audiological evaluation, Fukuda stepping test, videonystagmography, SOT of posturography, and HS–SOT. Results There were differences in balance skills between children with normal hearing and children with SNHL in Fukuda stepping test, caloric test, and HS–SOT; otherwise, there were no statistical significant differences between the two groups in smooth pursuit test, Dix–Hallpike test, and SOT. Conclusion HS–SOT showed significant difference between the two groups in horizontal, vertical, and roll axes of HS test, especially in horizontal CD5, vertical CD5, roll CD2, and roll CD5. This means that these axes could diagnose vestibular peripheral dysfunction accurately in children with SNHL.