Chapters authored
Hearing and Vestibular Testing in Menière’s Disease
Audiological and vestibular testing plays an important role in diagnosis of Menière’s disease,as disease per se and as staging diagnosis. A battery of tests are recommended in order to have a better evaluation of the disease. Audiological testing includes pure tone audiometry, with highlights of bone conduction especially in acute episodes of Menière’s disease, speech audiometry and glycerol test when hearing loss is documented, ABR and electrocochleography. Besides these investigations, vestibular investigations are also recommended in order to evaluate the degree of vestibular lesion present from the beginning of Menière’s disease—electro- and videonystagmography, head impulse test, vestibular evoked myogenic potentials and computerized dynamic posturography.
Part of the book: Up to Date on Meniere's Disease
Vestibular Therapy
Vestibular therapy is a common topic in physicians’ search for updated clinical practice. Early and appropriate vestibular rehabilitation makes a difference in a patient’s outcome. Peripheral vestibular impairments are often unilateral and heterogeneous. For this reason, treatment differs depending on the etiology, the moment from the onset, and the age of the patient. Following issues will be addressed in this chapter: medical treatment in the acute phase and subacute/chronic phase of unilateral vestibular loss; repositioning maneuvers for different types of BPPV; vestibular rehabilitation individualized programs, for vestibular neuritis, otolith dysfunction, visual vertigo, bilateral vestibular loss; virtual reality in vestibular rehabilitation programs; evaluation of vestibular rehabilitation programs; and new research treatment options—vibrotactile Balance Bely and vestibular implant.
Part of the book: Recent Advances in Audiological and Vestibular Research