Vestibular and Balance Testing
Colorado Hearing Professionals is currently the only clinic on the Western Slope to offer the full spectrum of vestibular testing. Options include videonystamography, vestibular evoked myogenic response and electrocochleography. If you’re experiencing symptoms of a balance disorder, these tests can help determine where the problem lies.
Symptoms of Balance Disorders
- Unsteadiness
- Dizziness that is motion triggered
- Vertigo
- Spinning sensation
- Headaches
- Blurred vision
- Falls
- Ringing or fullness in the ears
Videonystamography (VNG)
VNG is used to determine if a patient has a disorder of the vestibular system. It can also help to identify problems that may exist with the central nervous system or parts of the brain that have to do with balance and equilibrium. A VNG test can aid in diagnosing several vestibular disorders, including:
- BPPV
- Labyrinthitis
- Meniere’s disease
- Vestibular neuritis
- Central nervous system disorders
What a Patient Can Expect
This test identifies any significant differences between a patient’s left and right inner ears as they affect their balance. First, the movements of the patient’s eyes will be recorded as they follow light patterns. Next, they will lie on a table in different positions to see if this induces vertigo. Then, we will spray water into the patient’s ears to make them feel like they are spinning, even though they are not moving.
Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Response (VEMP)
VEMP testing is a method used to evaluate whether certain vestibular organs and associated nerves are intact and normally functioning. An oVEMP’s peripheral generator is the utricle, while the cVEMP’s peripheral generator is the saccule.
When combined, the oVEMP and cVEMP can provide diagnostic information for the utricles, the saccules and the entire vestibular nerve. The oVEMP can be used to aid in the diagnosis of superior canal dehiscence. Comparing oVEMP and cVEMP can also assist in differentiating unclear cases of vestibular migraines or Meniere’s disease.
What a Patient Can Expect
This test stimulates the inferior oblique muscle under the patient’s eye. We place recording electrodes on their forehead and under their eyes. Tones are then played through inserted headphones, and the electrodes measure various aspects of the electrical impulses of the patient’s vestibular system.
Electrocochleography (ECochG)
ECochG is a method for recording the electrical potentials of the cochlea. ECochG testing can aid in the diagnosis, assessment and monitoring of Meniere’s disease and in the assessment/monitoring of treatment strategies.
What a Patient Can Expect
This test measures their nervous system’s response to sound. We will insert an earphone into the patient’s outer ear canal. The earphone will emit a clicking sound, and the computer will record the electrical signals the patient’s inner ear produces and transmits to their brain as sound.
