Vertigo in childhood: an overview

Abstract

Objective: The current chapter will focus on epidemiological, etiological, and clinical data to optimize diagnostic and therapeutic approach of balance disorders in childhood. Methods: Personal experience and analysis of the literature. Results: The vestibular system is one of the first functioning systems of the human body. The vestibulo ocular reflex (VOR) is present at birth, and its values approaches those of a normal adult by 2 months of age. The vestibulospinal and vestibulocollic mechanism and the effectiveness of the vestibular system in postural control develop along a more protracted time course. Postural stability is mainly controlled by visual inputs in infants and children, whereas somatosensory inputs are primary in adults. Children begin to properly use somatosensory information at 3-6 years of age. Competence of the sensory systems to manage intersensory conflict is reached around 15 years of age. Conclusion: Balance disorders, at any stage of a children neurodevelopment, can be very debilitating, worsening their basic daily activities and they can lead to psycho-neurological, affective, and behavioral dysfunctions.