title: Childhood imbalance and chronic otitis media with effusion: effect of tympanostomy tube insertion on standardized tests of balance and locomotion.
abstract: The goal of this study was to investigate the role of chronic otitis media with effusion as a cause of childhood imbalance. Nineteen 4- to 6-year-old children with chronic otitis media with effusion and 14 matched control children underwent a series of laboratory tests, including two standardized tests of balance and locomotion: the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales (PDMS) and the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (BOTMP). The children in the chronic otitis media with effusion group underwent tympanostomy tube insertion. Both groups underwent the same battery of tests within 6 to 8 weeks of initial testing. Analysis of variance for the PDMS and BOTMP demonstrated significantly lower performance in the balance subscales for the otitis group before (P < .01). Both otitis and control groups improved when retested. The improvement was greater and approaching significance in the otitis group on the PDMS and BOTMP (P = .056 and .097, respectively). It is concluded that chronic otitis media with effusion significantly affects balance and coordination skills in 4- to 6-year-old children. These skills improve after tympanostomy tube insertion at a rate greater than that of the control group.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Columbus Children's Hospital and The Ohio State University, USA.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Hart
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Nichols
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Butler
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Barin
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008124:Locomotion / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008876:Middle Ear Ventilation; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000502:physiology; D010034:Otitis Media with Effusion / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*