The article by Dasgupta et al. (2025) presents the first systematic review dedicated to the use of the video head impulse test (vHIT) in children, evaluating 26 published studies and 1,691 participants aged between 5 months and 18 years.
The research shows that the test is technically feasible and provides meaningful measurements of the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR), particularly from the lateral semicircular canals.
The results indicate average VOR gains of around 0.96 (lateral) and slightly lower values for the vertical channels. The effectiveness of the test depends heavily on the examiner’s experience, the fit of the mask and the child’s cooperation.
The review confirms the usefulness of vHIT as a diagnostic tool in the investigation of vestibular dysfunction in children. The study is, however, limited by the heterogeneity of the included trials and the lack of standardisation across devices, which restricts the universal clinical application of the mean values presented.
This is a robust, innovative and clinically relevant systematic review, although it has limitations inherent in the scarcity and heterogeneity of paediatric data.
