There are several tests that we may use to assess your vestibular system. Depending on your symptoms, your audiologist will determine which tests will best help identify any weaknesses in your vestibular system.

When your testing is complete, the audiologist will write a comprehensive report, which will be sent to both your referring physician and your primary care physician. Following the test, you should schedule a follow-up appointment with your referring physician to discuss your test results and any treatment recommendations.

Video-nystagmography test (VNG)
The VNG is the centerpiece of vestibular testing and is used to determine if the vestibular system is the cause of your balance or dizziness problem. During the VNG test you wear special goggles that have cameras inside that track and record your eye movements. Your eyes and vestibular system actually work together so we can assess your inner ear by monitoring your eye movements. The VNG is made up of three different types of tests (see a brief description below), each one designed to test different structures and functions of your vestibular system. 

1. A light will appear on a projector screen and you will be asked to follow it with your eyes as it moves in different ways.
2. You will lie down on the exam table and turn your head and/or body to the right and left.
3. We will stimulate your vestibular system with cool and warm water or air.  Water or air will flow into and immediately out of your ear canal for approximately 30 seconds while we monitor your eye movements.

Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potential (VEMP) test
The purpose of the VEMP test is to determine if the saccule and the inferior vestibular nerve are intact and working normally. During the VEMP test you will recline at an angle and have sticker electrodes attached to your sternocleidomastoid (neck) muscles.  You will then listen to a knocking sound while lifting your head up slightly.  The electrodes will record the response from your vestibular system and we will look for a symmetrical response from each ear.  We may also lower the volume of the knocking sound to see if one ear is more sensitive than the other.  

Dynamic Visual Acuity (DVA) test
The DVA test assesses impairments in your ability to perceive objects accurately while actively moving your head.  In normal individuals, losses in visual acuity are minimized during head movements by the vestibular ocular reflex (VOR) system. When the VOR system is impaired, visual acuity degrades during head movements. During the DVA test all you will need to do is watch letters on a computer monitor while holding your head still or moving it side-to-side or up-and-down.

Sensory Organization Performance (SOP) test
The SOP test is used to look at overall patterns of balance performance through a combination of seven simple tests.  Normal balance requires correct information from the vestibular system, the eyes, and the pressure sensors in the feet, ankles, muscles and joints (somatosensory systems). The seven tests help isolate each of these three principle balance senses to determine the function of each. Results have been shown to correlate with VNG findings and provide further confirmatory diagnostic information.