title: Preliminary results of video Head Impulse Testing (vHIT) in children with cochlear implants.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the lateral semicircular canal high frequency vestibulo-oculomotor reflex (LSC HF VOR) in children with cochlear implant.
  
  
  METHODS
  16 children (10 females and 6 males, age range = 5-17 years) receiving a unilateral (n = 12) or a bilateral (n = 4) cochlear implant were included and compared to a control group of 20 age-matched normal-hearing (NH) children. Both implanted and NH children received a vestibular function test battery, including a Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex (VOR) gain assessment by means of a video-Head Impulse Test (vHIT), which represented the main outcome measure. In implanted subjects, vHIT was measured on both sides in the "CI-ON" and "CI-OFF" conditions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, no significant LSC HF VOR gain difference was found between CI users and NH peers. In the unilaterally implanted group, the LSC HF VOR gain measured in the "CI-ON" condition was significantly higher than in the "CI-OFF" condition, both in the implanted and in the non-implanted ear. In the bilaterally implanted group there was no such a difference between the two conditions, on either side.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first study investigating the LSC HF VOR gain in children with unilateral and bilateral CI. The study demonstrates that the LSC HF VOR of bilaterally implanted children is comparable to normal hearing children.
authors: Department of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology, Spedali Civili, University of Brescia, Italy. Electronic address: nadernassif@alice.it.
authors: Nader
authors: N
authors: Nassif
authors: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Spedali Civili, University of Brescia, Italy.
authors: Cristiano
authors: C
authors: Balzanelli
authors: Department of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology, Spedali Civili, University of Brescia, Italy; Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Spedali Civili, University of Brescia, Italy.
authors: Luca Oscar
authors: LO
authors: Redaelli de Zinis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003054:Cochlear Implants; D005260:Female; D064087:Head Impulse Test; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012027:Reflex, Vestibulo-Ocular / Q000502:physiology*; D012665:Semicircular Canals / Q000502:physiology; D014741:Video Recording
keywords: Children; Cochlear implant; HF VOR; video Head Impulse Test