Vestibular and cochlear dysfunction in aging:Two sides of the same coin?

Objective:Nonspecific complaints of hearing loss,vertigo,imbalance,and instability,without a defined etiology,are very prevalent in the elderly population,with a great impact on morbidity and mortality in this age group.The objectives of this study were to verify whether there is age-related vestibular dysfunction and to test the association of vestibular dysfunction with presbycusis in the elderly population.Methods:Original retrospective analytical cross-sectional study,carried out with 80 patients who underwent a videonystagmography and complete audiometric evaluation due to nonspecific vestibular complaints,without a specific vestibular disorder diagnosis.Patients were selected and divided into two distinct age groups(group A:>60 years;group B:18-50 years)and,in both groups,we analyzed the caloric tests and the pure-tone audiometry.Results:In the vestibular evaluation,we found that there was a statistically significant difference(P<0.05)between groups in the prevalence of bilateral vestibular weakness(group A:22.5%;group B:5%),and that the increase in age,above 60 years,is negatively correlated with the mean total caloric response.Additionally,we obtained a reasonable negative and statistically significant correlation(r=-0.320,P<0.05)between the mean bone conduction thresholds at high frequencies and total caloric responses in group A.Conclusions:In patients with hearing loss,it is essential to perform a complete vestibular study to diagnose vestibular disorders and,consequently,prevent adverse outcomes that may result from these alterations.