title: Association between vestibular function and motor performance in hearing-impaired children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The clinical balance performance of normal-hearing (NH) children was compared with the balance performance of hearing-impaired (HI) children with and without vestibular dysfunction to identify an association between vestibular function and motor performance.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tertiary referral center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-six children (mean age, 7 yr 5 mo; range, 3 yr 8 mo-12 yr 11 mo) divided into three groups: NH children with normal vestibular responses, HI children with normal vestibular responses, and HI children with abnormal vestibular function.
  
  
  METHODS
  A vestibular test protocol (rotatory and collic vestibular evoked myogenic potential testing) in combination with three clinical balance tests (balance beam walking, one-leg hopping, one-leg stance).
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical balance performance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HI children with abnormal vestibular test results obtained the lowest quotients of motor performance, which were significantly lower compared with the NH group (p < 0.001 for balance beam walking and one-leg stance; p = 0.003 for one-leg hopping). The balance performance of the HI group with normal vestibular responses was better in comparison with the vestibular impaired group but still significantly lower compared with the NH group (p = 0.020 for balance beam walking; p = 0.001 for one-leg stance; not significant for one-leg hopping).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicate an association between vestibular function and motor performance in HI children, with a more distinct motor deterioration if a vestibular impairment is superimposed to the auditory dysfunction.
authors.affiliation: *Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, Ghent University; †Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy, Artevelde University College-Ghent University; ‡University Hospital Ghent, Department of Oto-rhino-laryngology; and §Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Leen
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Maes
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Kegel
authors.forename: Hilde
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Van Waelvelde
authors.forename: Ingeborg
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dhooge
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019986:Persons with Hearing Disabilities; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D058585:Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D014722:Vestibule, Labyrinth / Q000503:physiopathology*