This study will measure the effects of soft surgical techniques on vestibular function and quality of life in patients pre- and post-cochlear implant (CI) surgery. Additionally, the investigators will attempt to systematically evaluate the utility of different electrophysiological measures of vestibular system function in surgical ears. Vestibular system function in CI patients will be evaluated pre-surgically and twice post-surgically, at 3 months and again at 1 year post-surgery. Traditional test techniques - such as VNG, rotational testing, and air conduction VEMPs - will be compared to and cross-checked with newer techniques including video head impulse testing (vHIT) and bone conduction VEMPs.
Design \& Procedures: The current standard of care for CI patients includes a pre-op evaluation of the vestibular system. For this study, the investigators will compare subjects' routine pre-op test results to two additional post-op assessments performed for study purposes: one in the short term (\~3 months post-op) and one in the long-term (\~1 year post-op).
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Purpose
OTHER
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
16
Patients who have received a cochlear implant within 90 days, and had vestibular testing pre-operatively, will undergo post-op vestibular testing
Duke University Medical Center
Durham, North Carolina, United States
Change in Vestibular function in Cochlear Implant Patients
Vestibular system function in CI patients will be evaluated pre-surgically and twice post-surgically, at 3 months and again at 1 year post-surgery
Time frame: Pre-Operatively, and then 3 months and 12 months post-operatively
Change in Quality of Life by questionnaire
Self-reported quality of life questionnaire (DHI) will be collected 3 months and 12 months post-operatively.
Time frame: 3 months and 12 months post-operatively
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