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Background: To add to the limited body of literature on ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potential (oVEMP) responses in children and to assess a different montage for oVEMP recording. Purpose: To evaluate the characteristics of the oVEMP response in children and compare the results with that of a group of healthy adults. Research Design: Prospective descriptive study from a tertiary referral center. Study Sample: Twenty-two children (mean age = 6.3 yr, standard deviation = ±1.5, range = 3.5-8.9 yr) were recruited from families whose parent(s) were employed by the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC). Pediatric participants were categorized by age into three groups for data analysis. The comparison adult group of ten participants were members of the employee staff at CCHMC. Data Collection and Analysis: Audiometric assessment was completed in all participants. The latency, amplitude, and threshold of the oVEMP responses were recorded using a modified electrode montage with reference at the chin and compared between the pediatric and adult participants. Results: All participants completed testing and had bilateral measurable oVEMP responses using a 105-dB nHL, 500-Hz tone burst stimulus. Comparison between right and left ears across all participants for each oVEMP characteristic found no statistically significant difference. oVEMP testing showed no significant differences with respect to latency, amplitude, interaural amplitude asymmetry, and threshold of response as a function of age. Conclusions: oVEMP responses for ages ≥ 3 did not differ from responses in adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This exploratory study assessed the perceptual, cognitive, and academic learning effects of an adaptive, integrated, directionality, and noise reduction hearing aid program in pediatric users. Method: Fifteen pediatric hearing aid users (6--12 years old) received new bilateral, individually fitted Oticon Opn hearing aids programmed with OpenSound Navigator (OSN) processing. Word recognition in noise, sentence repetition in quiet, nonword repetition, vocabulary learning, selective attention, executive function, memory, and reading and mathematical abilities were measured within 1 week of the initial hearing aid fitting and 2 months post fit. Caregivers completed questionnaires assessing their child's listening and communication abilities prior to study enrollment and after 2 months of using the study hearing aids. Results: Caregiver reporting indicated significant improvements in speech and sound perception, spatial sound awareness, and the ability to participate in conversations. However, there was no positive change in performance in any of the measured skills. Mathematical scores significantly declined after 2 months. Conclusions: OSN provided a perceived improvement in functional benefit, compared to their previous hearing aids, as reported by caregivers. However, there was no positive change in listening skills, cognition, and academic success after 2 months of using OSN. Findings may have been impacted by reporter bias, limited sample size, and a relatively short trial period. This study took place during the summer when participants were out of school, which may have influenced the decline in mathematical scores. The results support further exploration with age- and audiogrammatched controls, larger sample sizes, and longer test-- retest intervals that correspond to the academic school year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]