Vestibular Testing: Navigating the Labyrinth

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: Vestibular medicine has seen significant developments and advancement in the field over the last two decades with the introduction of several new vestibular testing modalities, as well as an expansion of our understanding of the pathophysiology of dizziness and vertigo This has resulted in new diagnostic categories with clear criteria for classic and novel vestibular disorders.

While all these developments have significantly improved our ability to help patients presenting with dizziness, the road to diagnosis often remains confusing and overwhelming for the provider.
In this panel presentation, we will discuss a structured approach to the patient presenting with dizziness, leveraging our experience as a team as well as real-life examples from our practice, to provide the otolaryngologist with a roadmap to the diagnosis of their patient with dizziness, vertigo and/or imbalance concerns. This will be an interactive discussion, with opportunities for open discussion on current trends, best-practice protocols, pitfalls, and successes working in a dizziness clinic environment.
Our clinical hypothesis approach entails thorough chart review and investigation of referring provider’s differential diagnosis. This allows us to develop our clinical hypothesis question. In other words, we determine what clinical question needs to be answered through our testing. We then develop a proposed testing protocol. This protocol is a modification of our general comprehensive Vestibular Test Battery where a subset of tests (instead of all tests) is selected to be performed. It is a narrowed and focused series of tests that are tailored to answer the clinical question.

OUTCOME OBJECTIVE 1: Understand the practical clinical applications of each of the vestibular tests available today. Specifically, we will describe each testing modality, what it evaluates, its added value to the assessment of the patient with dizziness, as well as its limitations.

OUTCOME OBJECTIVE 2: Learn to select testing modalities based on presentation and clinical suspicion, and integrate the results of these tests with the clinical hypothesis to derive a working diagnosis for the patient's condition in order to initiate treatment.

OUTCOME OBJECTIVE 3: Help the general otolaryngologist and advanced practice provider understand the basics necessary in building a solid vestibular medicine practice.

BACKGROUND STATEMENT: vestibular testing continues to evolve, offering unprecedented options for diagnosis of dizzines. The clinical indications and interpretation of these tests remain a mystery for many otolaryngologists. This course offers a roadmap for the selection and analysis of test results

Comprehensive Otolaryngology Track Statement :