Abstract
Background Vestibular and/or balance deficits are well documented in deaf individuals. In the
adult population, poor vestibular and/or balance function can lead to activity limitations
and increased risk of falling. An effective case history by health care providers
to probe for potential balance concerns is necessary for appropriate referral; however,
patients may not consistently report vestibular and balance symptoms. Currently, there
is little information available as to how deaf individuals report these symptoms and
how their reported balance ability relates to measures of balance and vestibular functions.
Purpose The aim of the current study was to evaluate self-perceived balance ability in participants
who self-identify as either deaf or hearing, and compare these results to measures
of balance and vestibular functions.
Research Design This is a prospective, between-group design.
Study Sample Data from 57 adults between the ages of 18 to 29 years who self-reported as deaf
(39) or hearing (18) were evaluated. Participants completed the activities-specific
balance confidence (ABC) scale, a brief case history, self-report rating of balance
(SRRB), the Modified Clinical Test of Sensory Integration of Balance (mCTSIB), along
with both ocular vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials (oVEMPs) and cervical vestibular-evoked
myogenic potentials (cVEMPs). Only participants with SRRBs of good or excellent were
included in the inferential analyses.
Results Proportions of participants rating their balance ability as either good or excellent
were similar between both groups, as were the results on the ABC scale. Statistical
analyses revealed significant associations between the groups on both oVEMPs and cVEMPs.
No significant differences were observed on sway velocities in any of the mCTSIB conditions;
however, more than one-third of deaf participants had mCTSIB Condition 4—on foam,
eyes closed—scores above 2 standard deviations of the hearing group.
Conclusion Deaf participants self-report similar ratings of balance ability as hearing participants
despite significant differences in vestibular function. A relatively large subset
of deaf participants had increased sway velocity on balance function testing that
required increased reliance on vestibular cues. A thorough discussion of balance and
vestibular symptoms should be completed when a patient who self-identifies as deaf
is seen by a health care provider so that appropriate screenings or referrals can
be completed as necessary.
Keywords
dizziness - hearing loss - vestibular - self-report - balance
