Evidence that vestibular hypofunction affects reading acuity in children.
OBJECTIVE
Despite reported gaze stability deficits in children with hearing impairment and concurrent vestibular hypofunction, the reading difficulties reported in this population have not been linked to the gaze instability. The purpose of this study was to develop a modified version of the MNREAD chart that enabled responses orally or using sign language.


METHODS
Seventy-two typically developing children and 14 children with sensorineural hearing loss with and without vestibular hypofunction participated. We examined: (1) reliability and age related changes in reading acuity scores, (2) the effect of vestibular hypofunction on reading acuity scores, and (3) the relationship between these scores and a test of dynamic visual acuity.


RESULTS
The test was reliable (ICC (3,2)>or=0.86). Reading acuity scores were significantly worse in children with vestibular hypofunction (p<or=0.002). Furthermore, reading acuity scores correlated with dynamic not static visual acuity scores (r=0.55, p<0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
These results imply that the gaze instability due to vestibular hypofunction affects reading ability in young children.
Braswell
Jennifer
J
Department of Physical Therapy, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, RMSB 389, 1530 3rd Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35222, United States. Jbraswel@uab.edu
Rine
Rose Marie
RM
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011932:Reading; D015837:Vestibular Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014787:Vision Tests; D014792:Visual Acuity