Roelofs, C.G. (2021) Improved ability to predict and detect declining vestibular function in older adults. thesis, Medicine.
Full text available on request.Abstract
Introduction The auditory and vestibular end organs are both located in the inner ear, and are susceptible to the effects of aging. Shared mechanisms are likely to contribute to age-related hearing loss and reduced vestibular function. Thus, age-related reduced auditory function should correlate with reduced vestibular function. The purpose of this study was to evaluate age-related decline of peripheral vestibular and audiometric function, to assess correlations between audiometric and vestibular tests and to examine whether audiometric assessment can aid in predicting age-related vestibular hypofunction. Patients & methods A retrospective cross-sectional study was performed, including all adult patients that underwent diagnostic workups for vestibular schwannoma between 2014 and 2020. Data from the patient’s healthy ear were used. Main outcome measures were audiometric function based on pure tone audiometry and vestibular assessments including the caloric test, step rotation test and vHIT. Following descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation was used to compare audiometric function, vestibular function and age. Linear regression was used to examine predictive effects of audiometric function on vestibular function. Results A total of 165 patients were included in the dataset, with an age ranging from 29 to 86 years. Auditory function and vestibular function in the caloric and step rotation tests showed a significant (p<0.05) negative correlation with age. Audiometric functioning was not a significant predictor for vestibular hypofunction measured in the caloric test, step rotation test and vHIT. A significant negative effect of male sex was seen on audiometric function and vestibular function in the caloric test. Conclusion Audiometric and vestibular function, based on the caloric and step rotation tests, decline with age. Audiometric function did not aid in predicting age-related vestibular hypofunction. Further investigations should examine the predictive value of audiometric assessment for vestibular hypofunction measured by vestibular assessments with an established normative range in healthy subjects.
| Item Type: | Thesis (UNSPECIFIED) |
|---|---|
| Supervisor name: | Pyott, dr. S.J. and Schubert, drs. N.M.A. |
| Faculty: | Medical Sciences |
| Date Deposited: | 06 Jan 2022 08:05 |
| Last Modified: | 06 Jan 2022 08:05 |
| URI: | https://umcg.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/2953 |
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