A Study of Vestibular Dysfunction in Cochlear Implantees

The patho-physiology of inner ear is an intriguing entity, which is yet to be understood in its full entirety. It is an interesting phenomenon to explore the way in which the labyrinth responds to various insults with a myriad of presentations manifesting clinically. Otologists have long wondered for a reasonable explanation as to why Stapedotomy patients may develop intense post-operative vertigo due to a small fenestra made in the foot plate, while cochlear implantees do not manifest similar vertiginous episodes even though a complete electrode array is inserted through a Cochleostomy or the Round Window. Such a mystery has triggered researchers to look into the vestibular changes that happen among cochlear implantees and recent literature has thrown light on such changes with reliable explanations based on clinical tests such as Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials (VEMP) and Video Oculography (VOG). This review article explores the results of such studies and highlights the author’s experience in assessing vestibular function among cochlear implantees.