Article
Otolithic function after cochlear implant surgery
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Published: | May 31, 2005 |
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Outline
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Introduction
The otolithic organs are neuroanatomically in close proximity to the cochlear implant electrode. They could be possibly influenced by the electrode insertion. I was therefore the aim of the present paper to investigate saccular and utricular function pre- and postoperatively in cochlear implanees.
Materials and Methods
Air- and bone conducted vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMP´s) were recorded bilaterally and the subjective haptic vertical measured in 24 patients (16 female, 8 male) 2 days before and 6 weeks after cochlear implantation. The results were classified as pathological or normal by using normative data.
Results
Saccular function investigated by the presence of VEMP`s were estimated as normal in 66 % of the patients preoperatively and in 25 % after cochlea implant surgery. Preoperatively most VEMP´s could already be elicited by air conduction, but bone conducted stimuli were required in all patients postoperatively. Only 2 patients showed pathological results in the subjective haptic vertical recording (utricular function) after implant surgery.
Conclusions
The present data suggest that saccular impairment is correlated to a large extent with cochlea implant surgery. Our results indicate that the neuromonitoring technique in cochlear implant surgery should be modified.