Background/Objectives: Recurrent acute otitis media (rAOM) is a common disease in childhood, but its impact on the vestibular system remains poorly understood. The present study aimed to evaluate the long-term effects of rAOM on balance and vestibular function in pediatric patients. Methods: A total of 55 children, aged 8 years (25 males and 30 females), with a documented history of rAOM, no AOM episodes in the past year, and no previous ear surgery were assessed. Static posturography was used to assess postural instability, measuring sway area (SX, mm2) under four conditions: eyes open and eyes closed, with and without foam pads. Vestibular function was evaluated using the video head impulse test (v-HIT) to quantify vestibulo–ocular reflex (VOR) gain and corrective saccades across all six semicircular canals. Results: Children with a history of rAOM demonstrated significantly greater postural instability than healthy controls (p < 0.001 for all test conditions). The number of AOM episodes was the primary factor influencing balance dysfunction, with children who had more than eight episodes showing the most pronounced deficits in postural stability (p < 0.05). In some cases, the v-HIT revealed hypofunction in the right anterior (14.5%), left posterior (7.3%), left lateral (5.5%), left anterior (3.6%), and right posterior (3.6%) semicircular canals. Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that rAOM can lead to lasting balance and vestibular dysfunction, highlighting the importance of early monitoring and potential rehabilitation.

Long-term impact of recurrent acute otitis media on balance and vestibular function in children / M. Aldè, P. Bosi, S. Muck, T. Mayr, P. Di Mauro, V. Berto, B. Gaia Aleandri, F. Folino, S. Barozzi, D. Zanetti, P. Marchisio. - In: BRAIN SCIENCES. - ISSN 2076-3425. - 14:12(2024 Dec 12), pp. 1246.1-1246.11. [10.3390/brainsci14121246]

Long-term impact of recurrent acute otitis media on balance and vestibular function in children

M. Aldè
Primo
;
P. Bosi
Secondo
;
F. Folino;S. Barozzi;D. Zanetti
Penultimo
;
P. Marchisio
Ultimo
2024

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Recurrent acute otitis media (rAOM) is a common disease in childhood, but its impact on the vestibular system remains poorly understood. The present study aimed to evaluate the long-term effects of rAOM on balance and vestibular function in pediatric patients. Methods: A total of 55 children, aged 8 years (25 males and 30 females), with a documented history of rAOM, no AOM episodes in the past year, and no previous ear surgery were assessed. Static posturography was used to assess postural instability, measuring sway area (SX, mm2) under four conditions: eyes open and eyes closed, with and without foam pads. Vestibular function was evaluated using the video head impulse test (v-HIT) to quantify vestibulo–ocular reflex (VOR) gain and corrective saccades across all six semicircular canals. Results: Children with a history of rAOM demonstrated significantly greater postural instability than healthy controls (p < 0.001 for all test conditions). The number of AOM episodes was the primary factor influencing balance dysfunction, with children who had more than eight episodes showing the most pronounced deficits in postural stability (p < 0.05). In some cases, the v-HIT revealed hypofunction in the right anterior (14.5%), left posterior (7.3%), left lateral (5.5%), left anterior (3.6%), and right posterior (3.6%) semicircular canals. Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that rAOM can lead to lasting balance and vestibular dysfunction, highlighting the importance of early monitoring and potential rehabilitation.
recurrent acute otitis media; vestibular system; balance disorders; children; posturography
Settore MEDS-18/B - Audiologia e foniatria
Settore MEDS-20/A - Pediatria generale e specialistica
Settore MEDS-18/A - Otorinolaringoiatria
12-dic-2024
Article (author)
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
brainsci-14-01246.pdf

accesso aperto

Tipologia: Publisher's version/PDF
Dimensione 273.19 kB
Formato Adobe PDF
273.19 kB Adobe PDF Visualizza/Apri
Pubblicazioni consigliate

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2434/1125236
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus 0
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 0
social impact