Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery
Jenks Vestibular Laboratories
More than half of the population will see a doctor at some point in their lives with symptoms related to the vestibular system (e.g., dizziness, vertigo, imbalance, blurred vision). Vestibular disorders are often debilitating and even life-threatening when falls result. Researchers focusing in the area of the vestibular system seek to improve diagnostic techniques and to develop and refine treatments for patients suffering from related disorders.
Research Summary
Collaboration between our scientists, engineers, and physicians has led to the development of balance aids for patients suffering imbalance, as well as vestibular implants for patients who have lost inner ear function. Additionally, researchers are dedicated to overcoming the limitations of clinical vestibular testing and improving diagnoses for the large number of patients whose diagnoses cannot be confirmed by testing.
Research Areas
Learn more about our two laboratories investigating vestibular and balance function.
Founded in 1986, the Jenks Vestibular Diagnostic Laboratory provides state-of-the-art testing for patients and referring physicians to assess balance and dizziness disorders.
The four main tests offered by this lab include electronystagmogram (ENG), Sinusoidal Vertical-Axis Rotation (SVAR), visual-vestibular interaction (VVI ), and posturography (EquiTest). Perilymph fistula and limited ocular motility testing is also available.
In addition to its clinical testing role, the laboratory’s research objectives include application of multivariate statistics to increase the sensitivity and specificity of clinical tests, and transitional research in vestibular prostheses. With collaborators in Geneva, our investigators have shown that acute simulation of the human posterior ampullary nerve produces robust eye movements, thus supporting the development of vestibular implants. Investigators have worked with many collaborators to show that a non-invasive balance aid that provides subjects with feedback about the tilt of their body from the vertical can help them stand and walk more securely.
Scientists in the Jenks Vestibular Physiology Laboratory study vestibular function using various behavioral measures, including assays of balance, perception, and the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR). They engage in both basic science and translational research, using dynamic system models to help gain insight into the complexities of multi-sensory integration involved in our sense of spatial orientation.
The Jenks Vestibular Physiology Laboratory was the first to study vestibular implants to treat patients suffering from severe bilateral vestibular loss. Investigators also have a number of patents that have been licensed by commercial entities intent on bringing this device to the market in the near future. They continue to maintain significant research interests in this area.
Presently, much of the translational effort focuses on the development of more sensitive and more specific diagnostic tests of vestibular function for patients suffering from dizziness, imbalance, or vertigo. This is significant because a substantial fraction of patients suffering from these disorders are difficult to diagnose using existing tests that focus on measurements of reflexive responses like the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR).
Much of the basic science effort focuses on human spatial illustration of vestibular Sinauer that fades orientation and perception with a strong interest in understanding the limits of human performance via the measurement of thresholds. We also perform basic science studies focusing on understanding how the brain combines cues from many different sensory systems, sometimes referred to as a multi-sensory integration, with a keen interest in how the brain processes ambiguous sensory cues, like those provided by the otolith organs that provide both gravitational and acceleration cues.
Our Investigators
Our scientists study vestibular function using various behavioral measures, including assays of balance, perception, and the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR).
