As of October 9, 2020, Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) in the United States reported over seven million documented cases of COVID-19 and over 212,000 deaths since the virus was first identified in this country in January 2020 (2020).
Early in the pandemic, the medical profession, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institute of Health (NIH), and both federal and state governments worked 24/7 to develop testing protocols and intervention strategies (pharmacological management and vaccines).
Topic(s): COVID-19, audiology, Vestibular, vestibular disorders
Dizziness and imbalance are complex and, often, multifactorial conditions that require skilled evaluation, sometimes by multiple health-care providers.
As audiologists, our role is largely diagnostic in nature. We are able to perform a variety of tests to help identify or rule out the site of lesion. Working in a collaborative team with physical therapists who are specifically trained in vestibular rehabilitation provides a comprehensive and dynamic approach to treating these patients.
Topic(s): vestibular evaluation, vestibular disorders, therapy
The standard electronystagmography/videonystagmography (ENG/VNG) exam, first described 80 years ago, has been around for about 60 years. The recording techniques have improved, but the tests are the same. Our understanding of vestibular function and methods to evaluate the vestibular ocular reflex (VOR) also have improved, but our profession still relies primarily on VNG testing to determine vestibular function. Let’s take a critical look at this standard of care.
Topic(s): vestibular disorders, vestibular evaluation, Vertigo, vng, videonystagmography
