Background: Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SNHL) has a detrimental effect on children's development, it makes a thorough examination of the inner ear crucial.
Aim of the work: To assess the saccular function in children with different degrees of SNHL by using cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential (cVEMP) in comparison to normal children.
Patients and methods: Forty-five children were included in this study (fifteen normal children as a control group and thirty children with SNHL as a study group). Children in the study group were divided according to the degrees of hearing loss into mild, moderate, moderately severe, severe, and profound. cVEMP was done at a supra-threshold level of 95 decibels (normal Hearing Level dBnHL) using 500 Hertz (Hz) tone-burst to evaluate the vestibular system in both groups. cVEMP P13, N23 amplitude, and latency results were recorded.
Results: there was a statistically significant difference regarding latency of P13 & N23 among the two groups with increased mean in the study group, a statistically significant difference as regards absolute amplitude of P13 & N23 with decreased mean in the study group and a statistically significant difference regarding P13-N23 amplitude. But there is no statistically significant difference as regards asymmetry ratio, the interaural level difference (ILD), and P13-N23 interpeak latency (IPL).
Conclusion: A significant portion of kids with SNHL experience vestibular impairments. The largest percentage of aberrant cVEMP results were seen in children with severe or profound hearing loss. Cochlear implantation (CI) may affect the vestibular otolith organs, and the cVEMP waveform alterations can reveal how surgery affects the otolith organs.