Cervical and Ocular Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials in Children with Speech Sound Disorder

Background and Aim: Speech Sound Disorder (SSD) is a developmental communication disorder characterised by children’s difficulties in producing speech sounds clearly. Auditory deficits, sensory integration issues and motor execution difficulties are reported in children with SSD. The vestibular system, being in proximity to the auditory system and important in sensory integration, requires exploration of its function in children with SSD. The study compared latency and amplitude parameters of Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials (VEMPs) in children with SSD and typically developing children to assess otolithic function. Methods: The study employed a standard group comparison, involving 10 children with SSD and 10 typically developing children matched for age and gender in the 6–11 years age range (7 boys). Participants underwent cervical VEMP and ocular VEMP testing in a sound-treated room, with appropriate strategies in place to ensure their cooperation with the test procedures. Results: Statistically significantly higher peak-to-peak amplitude for cVEMP and oVEMP was observed in typically developing children, whereas the amplitude asymmetry ratio was statistically higher in children with SSD. Both findings suggest possible alterations in vestibular function among children with SSD, a finding reported for the first time in the literature. Conclusion: Alterations in sacculo-collic and utriculo-ocular pathway function might be concomitant in children with SSD. This may influence sensory information related to relative position, movement of articulators, as well as the muscle tone of the neck and head, including articulators. The findings pave the way for exploring adjunct vestibular rehabilitation with speech-language intervention in children with SSD.