TY - JOUR
T1 - Vestibular screening in pediatric patients with otitis media
AU - Rehagen, Sonia Kim
AU - Valente, Maureen
AU - Lieu, Judith E.C.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 American Academy of Audiology. All rights reserved.
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
N2 - Background: Otitis media with effusion (OME) is a common cause of vestibular disturbances in children. However, young children often lack the language to express their symptoms, and it is uncommon to screen children for vestibular impairments. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a screening protocol for children presenting with OME to determine if diagnostic vestibular testing is necessary. Research Design: Children with normal hearing (NH), sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), and conductive hearing loss (CHL) due to OME participated in a vestibular screening. Study Sample: There were 30 participants, ages four to eight years, ranging from 48 to 101 months included in the study: 10 with NH, 11 with CHL due to OME, and 9 with SNHL. Data Collection and Analysis: The vestibular screening consists of patient and parent questionnaires and a functional evaluation. The tests examined coordination, balance, oculomotor function, and nystagmus. Results: Those with CHL were significantly more likely to display abnormal smoothness of pursuit, as measured with observations for rapid tracking, absence of or delayed saccades, and overshoot, than those with NH or SNHL (p 5 0.012). Parents of children with CHL due to OME were more likely to report their child experiencing middle ear pressure than the parents of children with NH or SNHL (p 5 0.010). In addition, children with CHL were less likely to report hearing loss than those with NH or SNHL. Parent and patient report were not found to be reliable indicators of vestibular disturbances. Conclusions: This pilot study suggests that children with CHL due to OME present with more oculomotor abnormalities than their peers with NH. Further research is necessary to determine validity and reliability of the findings for this present study.
AB - Background: Otitis media with effusion (OME) is a common cause of vestibular disturbances in children. However, young children often lack the language to express their symptoms, and it is uncommon to screen children for vestibular impairments. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a screening protocol for children presenting with OME to determine if diagnostic vestibular testing is necessary. Research Design: Children with normal hearing (NH), sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), and conductive hearing loss (CHL) due to OME participated in a vestibular screening. Study Sample: There were 30 participants, ages four to eight years, ranging from 48 to 101 months included in the study: 10 with NH, 11 with CHL due to OME, and 9 with SNHL. Data Collection and Analysis: The vestibular screening consists of patient and parent questionnaires and a functional evaluation. The tests examined coordination, balance, oculomotor function, and nystagmus. Results: Those with CHL were significantly more likely to display abnormal smoothness of pursuit, as measured with observations for rapid tracking, absence of or delayed saccades, and overshoot, than those with NH or SNHL (p 5 0.012). Parents of children with CHL due to OME were more likely to report their child experiencing middle ear pressure than the parents of children with NH or SNHL (p 5 0.010). In addition, children with CHL were less likely to report hearing loss than those with NH or SNHL. Parent and patient report were not found to be reliable indicators of vestibular disturbances. Conclusions: This pilot study suggests that children with CHL due to OME present with more oculomotor abnormalities than their peers with NH. Further research is necessary to determine validity and reliability of the findings for this present study.
KW - Balance
KW - Otitis media with effusion
KW - Vestibular screening
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85081986250&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3766/jaaa.18101
DO - 10.3766/jaaa.18101
M3 - Article
C2 - 31304915
AN - SCOPUS:85081986250
SN - 1050-0545
VL - 31
SP - 209
EP - 216
JO - Journal of the American Academy of Audiology
JF - Journal of the American Academy of Audiology
IS - 3
ER -