title: Reliability and diagnostic accuracy of clinical tests of vestibular function for children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine reliability, diagnostic values, and minimal detectable change scores, 90% confidence (MDC90) of pediatric clinical tests of vestibular function.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty children with severe to profound bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and 23 children with typical development, aged 6 to 12 years, participated. The Head Thrust Test, Emory Clinical Vestibular Chair Test, Bucket Test, Dynamic Visual Acuity, Modified Clinical Test of Sensory Interaction on Balance, and Sensory Organization Test were completed twice for reliability. Reference standard diagnostic tests were rotary chair and vestibular evoked myogenic potential. Reliability, sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, likelihood ratios, and MDC90 scores were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Reliability ranged from an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.73 to 0.95. Sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values, using cutoff scores for each test representing the largest area under the curve, ranged from 63% to 100%. The MDC90 for Dynamic Visual Acuity and Modified Clinical Test of Sensory Interaction on Balance were 8 optotypes and 16.75 seconds, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Clinical tests can be used accurately to identify children with vestibular hypofunction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health Professions (Dr Christy), and Department of Community Health, Outcomes and Systems, School of Nursing (Dr Azuero), The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama; Department of Communicative Disorders (Ms Payne and Dr Formby), College of Arts and Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
authors.forename: Jennifer B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Christy
authors.forename: JoAnne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Payne
authors.forename: Andres
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Azuero
authors.forename: Craig
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Formby
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities / Q000592:standards*; D004856:Postural Balance; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014724:Vestibular Function Tests / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards*