Vestibular Effects of Cochlear Implantation

(CI) carries with it the potential risk for vestibular system insult or stimulation with resultant dysfunc-tion. As candidate profiles continue to evolve and with the recent development of bilateral CI, under-standing the significance of this risk takes on an in-creasing importance. Study Design: Between 1997 to 2001, a prospective observational study was carried out in a tertiary care medical center to assess the effects of unilateral CI on the vestibular system. Meth-ods: Assessment was performed using the dizziness handicap inventory (DHI), vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) testing using both alternate bithermal caloric irrigations (ENG) and rotational chair-generated si-nusoidal harmonic accelerations (SHA), and comput-erized dynamic platform posturography (CDP) at pre