Comparison of the succular function between congenital profound hearing-impaired and normal children

Recent studies showed the posibility of vestibular disorder in congenital hearing-impaired children. Our study was carried out to compare saccular function between children with congenital sensory-neural hearing loss and children with normal hearing. Thirty children with congenital profound sensory-neural hearing loss (mean age of 6. 93 yrs) and 30 ones with normal hearing (mean age 7. 18 yrs) were studied. Vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) test was recorded monaurally by 500 Hz tone burst stimululi via air conduction and insert receiver. VEMP was recorded with mean threshold intensity level of 83. 60 dB in 53. 3% of hearing-impaired children and 76. 64 dB in all of the children in control group. Regarding amplitude and latancy of response، there was a significant difference just in P1N1 amplitude (P=0. 015). In four cochlear implanted children، VEMP was not recorded. Motor delay and developmental disorderas were reported in neonatal history of 8 children that six of them had no VEMP. About the fifty percent of our children had no VEMP resulting from succular disorder and impairment of postural control and static balance.