Screen-Induced Pathological Vestibular Reflex: A Specific Marker of Early Screen Addiction

Rapid screening tests for various diseases are extremely useful in general therapeutic practice, and their development is particularly valuable for timely detection and differentiation. Primitive reflexes are described in the literature, and their persistence at later ages is a marker for delays, distortions, and/or regression in childhood development. Visual dominance over other sensory systems, including the vestibular system (balance), underlies sensory-motor fragmentation and disintegration, respectively developmental issues, in children with early screen addiction/autism. We describe here a novel primitive reflex, named the Screen-Induced Pathological Vestibular Reflex (SIPVR), which is exceptionally sensitive to early screen addiction/autism and completely absent in typically developing children. Moreover, the integration of this reflex appears to be one of the prerequisites for complete recovery and resolution of ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) symptoms in affected children. In our practice, we have begun using a SIPVR test to detect screen addiction and screen-related trauma in children, as well as to assess screen re-exposure in children recovering from screen addiction/autism. Consequently, we hypothesized this relationship and named it accordingly. Our results indicated that out of 285 children with early screen addiction, 252 children (99%) showed positive SIPVR results upon initial evaluation. Furthermore, out of 46 children who experienced reintroduction of screens, SIPVR re-emerged in all 46. Additionally, the severity of this reflex clearly correlated with the severity of autistic traits in children with early screen addiction. We also discuss its relationship with another characteristic exaggerated reaction in these children – namely, sensitivity to covering their eyes with hands (observed in 270 children, 95%), as well as hypersensitivity to loud noises. The widespread application of this test could significantly save time and effort in rapidly identifying early screen addiction/autism, as it requires no special equipment or professional training and can easily be performed by parents themselves. Keywords: early screen addiction, autism, ASD, Screen-Induced Pathological Vestibular Reflex (SIPVR), retained primitive reflexes (RPRs), developmental issues