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Vestibular Dysfunction in Preschool Children with a History of Otitis Media

A study was conducted to investigate vestibular dysfunction in normal preschool children with and without a history of otitis media. Thirty-five preschoolers (age range 4 years, 2 months, to 5 years, 8 months) were assigned to an otitis media (OM) group (children with a history of 6 or more episodes of otitis media) or a no otitis media (NOM) group (children with no known episodes of otitis media), based on information obtained from a parent questionnaire. The Southern California Postrotary Nystagmus Test (SCPNT) and five tests from the Miller Assessment for Preschoolers (MAP) (Stepping, Vertical Writing, Romberg, Walks Line, and Hand-Nose tests) were administered. Results showed that children with a history of otitis media had significantly decreased percentile rank scores on Stepping (deviation) (p < .001) and Vertical Writing (p < .01), which measure vestibulospinal function. No significant difference was found for duration of nystagmus as measured by the SCPNT (p < .93). Clinical implications and suggestions for further research are discussed.