Motor and cognitive performances in pre-lingual cochlear implant adolescents, related with vestibular function and auditory input

Abstract

Background: Information about the role of auditory input and motor control is limited.

Objectives: Assessment the relationship between auditory and vestibular information with specific motor and cognitive functions.

Methods: Posturography in 17 Pre-lingual Cochlear Implant Adolescents, (PCIA) age 14.06 ± 3.05 in four sensory conditions was analyzed: (A) eyes open, cochlear implant (CI) on, (B) eyes open, CI off, (C) eyes closed standing on a foam over a platform (ECFP) with CI on, and (D) ECFP, CI off. Gait velocity (GV) was registered by inertial sensors using a 10-meter test. Vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) was evaluated with the video head impulse test (VHIT) and visual spatial skill (VS) assessed with the WISC-V test.

Results: SV had no significant difference between conditions A and B (p = .2461). Comparing C and D, SV values decreased when CI was turned on (p = .0036). A significant linear relationship between VOR and GV (p = .0064) generating the VOR gain loss lower gait. Relationship between VOR and VS scores was no significant (p = .685).

Conclusions and significance: Auditory information is a relevant cue when somatosensory and visual inputs are modified and range of vestibular function influence in a dynamic motor activity as gait, facts which must be considered in the neurodevelopment control.

Chinese abstract

背景：在听觉输入和运动控制的作用方面, 其信息是有限的。

目的：探讨听觉和前庭信息与特定运动和认知功能的关系。

方法：对17例年龄为14.06±3.05的语前人工耳蜗植入青少年（PCIA）在四种感觉条件下进行分析：（A）睁眼, 耳蜗植入（CI）开启；（B）睁眼, CI关闭；（C）闭眼站立在平台上的泡沫上（ECFP）, CI开启；（D）ECFP, CI关闭。用10米测试, 通过惯性传感器记录步态速度（GV）。采用视频头脉冲测试（VHIT）来评估前庭-眼反射（VOR）, 采用WISC-V测试来评估视觉空间技能（VS）。

结果：A、B条件下, SV无显著性差异（P=.2461）。比较C和D, 当CI打开时, SV值降低（P=.0036）。VOR和GV之间的显著线性关系（p=.0064）, 导致失去VOR获得的较低步态。VOR与VS值之间的关系不显著（P=.685）。

结论和意义：当躯体感觉和视觉输入被改动, 前庭功能的范围影响一个动态活动如步态时, 听觉信息是一个相关的线索。这是在神经发育控制方面必须考虑的事实。

Keywords:

• Postural control
• cochlear implant
• gait
• cognitive skills

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.