Christiana Care Rehabilitation

Vestibular Services

The vestibular system is the sensory system within the inner ear that helps the body to maintain balance and equilibrium. Christiana Care Audiology offers the following services related to the vestibular system:

Electronystagmography (ENG)

This assessment for dizziness records and analyzes eye movements to determine the presence of a peripheral vestibular (inner-ear) or central-nervous-system disorder.

Vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP)

VEMP uses electrodes to measure small changes in neck-muscle contractions to determine if the saccule, the inferior vestibular nerve, and central connections are intact and working normally.

Electrocochleography (Ecog)

Electrocochleography is a measurement tool to assess electrical potentials in the cochlea (inner ear). Ecog is used to determine the presence of endolymphatic hydrops (excess fluid in the inner ear) and Meniere's Disease, and to assist in determining treatment strategies for these disorders.

Rotary chair testing

In this test, the patient sits in a computer-controlled chair that rotates and oscillates at various speeds. Slow speeds move in a full circle, and faster speeds move back and forth in a very small rotational arc. The testing room is dark, but a video camera and a microphone mounted at the top of the chair allows constant contact between the patient and the audiologist. By measuring patient eye movements, the audiologist can evaluate disorders of the peripheral (inner ear) or the central nervous system.

Dynamic platform posturography

This test provides information about which parts of the balance system (visual, vestibular or somatosensory) the patient relies on the most to maintain balance. The information derived from this test can be helpful in treatment planning and management. The patient stands in bare feet on a special platform and balances under various conditions. Safety is ensured through the use of a special harness worn by the patient. 

• If experiencing an emergency, dial 911
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