engleski

Vestibular system and speech

Speech, the goal of our rehabilitation is the highest cognitive function. Language has a spatial organisation that reffers to its connection to vestibular system that is the main system for spatial perception. Spatial perception (spacioception) precedes thinking and speech. The way from real world to our thinking content is mediated by our sensory systems (tactile, proprioceptive, vestibular, visual and hearing), and their neural and functional interconnections. Vestibular system is recognised as one that has a supervising and integrating role above other sensory organs. This function mostly takes place on the subcortical level and is also crutial as a preparation and processing information from periphery to the brain cortex. The importance of peripheral, and specially central part of vestibular system for the development of auditory and speech perception had been recognised for a long time. Many investigations have been done before on that subject (Pansini, Mijić, Zahradka, Trotić). For that reason the vestibular tests, electonystagmography (ENG) and stabilometry are today a part of preoperative diagnostic protocol for candidates for cochlear implantation. In caloric testing ENG shows vestibular sensitivity (peripheral level), but also gives the idea of structures in the brainstem and myelinic process through the treshold of the quick component of nystagmus ( R ). In stabilometric testing we can evaluate the general capability of maintaining balance, but also the amount of visual and hearing control in that function, that gives information about central sensory integration. Studying cochlear implant users, it was shown that those with good findings in both tests had the best results in speech rehabilitation, and, on the other hand, the children that showed poor vestibular function together with the bad stabilometric result also showed poor results in later rehabilitation. This confirms the idea of systematic use of this tests in diagnostic protocol that enables us to: 1. evaluate the vestibular system at different levels, 2. direct the rehabilitation to the most critical parts, and 3. predict the success and tempo of rehabilitation.

vestibular system ; speech

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