title: The hidden loss of otolithic function in children with profound sensorineural hearing loss.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study sought to define the profile of ocular and cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potential (oVEMP and cVEMP) in children with profound sensorineural hearing loss (PSHL).
  
  
  METHODS
  The ACS-evoked oVEMPs and cVEMPs of 43 children with PSHL and 20 healthy children were investigated. The response rates, thresholds, amplitudes, P1 and N1 latencies, and interpeak latencies of VEMPs were analyzed. Each patient's medical record was summarized and classified.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The response rates of oVEMP and cVEMP in patients with PSHL were 58.1% and 61.9% respectively, which were significantly less than those in healthy children (both were 100%). In the children patients whose oVEMP or cVEMP could still be elicited, significant elevated thresholds and decreased amplitudes in VEMPs could be observed (p<0.05). However, in the summary of the medical records of all the 43 patients, it was showed that neither the patients and their parents nor the doctors noticed the balance problem and the loss of otolithic function.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The otolithic dysfunction, which could be easily ignored in children with PSHL, could be observed in VEMPs. In the process of diagnosis and treatment of PSHL, the vestibular function should obtain enough attention. VEMPs have special value in observation of the hidden loss of otolithic function, and could be an important vestibular assessment method for children with PSHL.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University College of Medicine, Ear Institute of Xi'an Jiaotong University College of Medicine, Xi'an 710004, China; Department of Otology and Skull Base Surgery, Eye Ear Nose & Throat Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China; Key Laboratory of Hearing Science, Ministry of Health, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Xin-Da
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University College of Medicine, Ear Institute of Xi'an Jiaotong University College of Medicine, Xi'an 710004, China. Electronic address: zhqent@163.com.
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University College of Medicine, Ear Institute of Xi'an Jiaotong University College of Medicine, Xi'an 710004, China.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University College of Medicine, Ear Institute of Xi'an Jiaotong University College of Medicine, Xi'an 710004, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University College of Medicine, Ear Institute of Xi'an Jiaotong University College of Medicine, Xi'an 710004, China.
authors.forename: Yan-Fei
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University College of Medicine, Ear Institute of Xi'an Jiaotong University College of Medicine, Xi'an 710004, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Tong
authors.initials: XT
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University College of Medicine, Ear Institute of Xi'an Jiaotong University College of Medicine, Xi'an 710004, China.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010037:Otolithic Membrane / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology; D011930:Reaction Time; D012678:Sensation Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D058585:Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials
keywords: Cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potential (cVEMP); Hearing loss; Ocular vestibular-evoked myogenic potential (oVEMP); Saccule; Utricle; Vestibular function