Understanding vestibular disorders in children: a comprehensive review and synthesis

Abstract

Childhood vestibular system dysfunction can adversely affect the child’s quality of life. It can compromise the developmental progress of the child. This review presents findings across literature on the different diagnostic procedures for this patient demographic, including Video Head Impulse Test, Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials, rotary chair test, videonystagmography, and the Dix-Hallpike manoeuvre. Out of these tools, the rotary chair test is the most universally applicable to paediatric assessment when measured across a range of comparison metrics. A combination of tools can improve diagnostic accuracy. The strengths and weaknesses of each tool are also discussed at length.