Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Public Health 2251-6085 54 9 2025 10 04 1996 2004 Anqi Zhong The First Clinical Medical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China Shihan Liu Department of Otorhinolaryngology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China Lingli Zhang Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Central Hospital Affiliated to Chongqing University of Technology, Chongqing, China 2024 11 24 2025 02 18 Background: Childhood intelligence is a critical developmental milestone influenced by genetic and environmental factors. The interplay between intelligence and vestibular function, which is increasingly recognized for its relevance to cognitive abilities, has not been extensively studied. This study aims to investigate the potential association between childhood intelligence and vestibular dysfunction. Methods: Utilizing a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) approach, we analyzed data from publicly available genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of European ancestry. Genetic instruments were selected based on GWAS significance, independence, and F-statistics. We employed MR Egger, Weighted median, Inverse variance weighted (IVW), Simple mode, and Weighted mode methods for robustness checks. Results: Our analysis identified a significant inverse association between childhood intelligence and the risk of vestibular dysfunction (IVW: OR= 0.907, 95% CI = 0.843 - 0.976, p= 0.009). The MR Egger intercept test did not indicate horizontal pleiotropy, and heterogeneity analysis suggested consistency in the results. Conclusion: The study provides preliminary evidence of a negative correlation between childhood intelligence and vestibular dysfunction risk, suggesting that higher intelligence may be associated with a lower likelihood of vestibular issues. This finding underscores the importance of vestibular function in cognitive development and offers insights for early intervention strategies. https://ijph.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijph/article/view/37298 https://ijph.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijph/article/download/37298/8655