Prognostic factors for vestibular impairment in sensorineural hearing loss

Abstract

The clinical course and prognosis in sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) may be even worse if vestibular system is also involved, especially due to near location of anatomical structures in the inner ear. The aim of the study was to determine prognostic value of some clinical, audiological and demographic factors associated with SNHL in predicting a possibility of vestibular impairment. The study was conducted on 124 consecutive patients (183 ears) diagnosed for sensorineural hearing loss during 1 year in our department. In all of them, audiological (pure-tone, speech and impedance audiometry, ABR) and ENG examinations (visual ocular-motor, positional, kinetic and caloric tests) were performed. The correlations between ENG outcome and the following variables associated with sensorineural hearing loss were investigated: audiological (degree and location of hearing loss, audiogram configuration), clinical (tinnitus, vertigo, dizziness) and demographic (age, sex) factors. Normal ENG was recorded in 26.6%, vestibular impairment of peripheral type in 38.7%, and central type in 34.7% of the patients. In a multivariate stepwise linear regression analysis, the degree of hearing loss was the main variable correlating with abnormal ENG result. Tinnitus and location of hearing loss were also found to be the two other variables which, to some minor extent, can influence the ENG outcome. Peripheral vestibular impairment was observed more frequently in patients with residual hearing/deafness. The degree of hearing loss, presence of tinnitus and location of hearing loss are factors predicting the possibility of abnormal ENG outcome in sensorineural hearing loss.

Long-term outcomes of patients with Streptococcus suis infection in Viet Nam: A case-control study

“…We found that vestibular dysfunction occurs more often in cases with severe to complete hearing loss. This observation is in agreement with previous reports for different etiologies, that peripheral vestibular impairment was found mainly among those with residual deafness 19 or co-incidence of balance system dysfunction was more frequent in profound hearing loss. 20 Similar to hearing loss, vestibular imbalance persists in a large majority of cases after 9 months with a similar rate among retrospectively enrolled cases, suggesting a permanent loss of function.…”

Vestibular and radiological evaluation of hearing impaired children with delayed Motor development

“…The results were different to Pajor & Jozefowicz-Korczynska [1] , who noted abnormal ENG in 88% of patients (22 ears); in nearly all of them (20 ears), vestibular impairment was of peripheral type. They also reported that in children with SNHL, concomitant damage to vestibular structures is commonly reported.…”

“…Disturbances in cochlear function, which can result in sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), could accompany vestibular impairment because the cochlea and the vestibule share the continuous membranous labyrinth of the inner ear, therefore, injury or trauma prenatally, perinatally, or postnatally may cause damage to one or both systems [1,2] .…”

An overview of motor skill performance and balance in hearing impaired children

“…The vestibular end-organ and cochlea are closely related both anatomically and functionally. Therefore, injury or trauma prenatally, perinatally, or postnatally may cause damage to one or both systems [28-30]. Moreover, damage to portions of the vestibule-cochlear nerve is a presumed cause of sensorineural hearing loss, may include damage to both cochlear apparatus as well as the vestibular afferents [31].…”