Test Descriptions
ASSESSMENTS & TESTING FOR BALANCE & HEARING
Expert Balance Testing in East Melbourne
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Hearing Assessments
Pure Tone Audiogram (Air and Bone)
To assess hearing ability through air and bone conduction for different sounds in the speech range
Speech Discrimination
To assess understanding of speech in quiet
Tympanometry
To assess middle ear function, useful in differential diagnosis of middle ear pathologies
BALANCE COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT
This assessment includes the Hearing Assessment as described above in addition to the following:
Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials (VEMP)
To assess saccule, or inferior vestibular nerve, function.
The test involves taking recordings from few electrodes placed on patient’s face and neck and stimuli consisted of 500Hz tone bursts are delivered via insert earphone to elicit responses.
ENG/VNG (Electronystagmography/Videonystagmography)
To measure the response of the balance centres to various conditions by measuring particular types of eye movements using miniature cameras set in a pair of goggles which are worn for the test or in rare occasion using three to five small electrodes taped to the face around the eyes.
The battery of tests consists of :
- Gaze, Ocular Motor (Saccade & Pursuit) and Fixation and Suppression tests – recordings of eye movements looking at moving and stationary target lights to evaluate central vestibular and ocular motor pathway
- Static Positional Test – recordings of eye movements in different head and body positions to evaluate if changes in position cause nystagmus
- Bithermal Calorics – using warm and cool air to measure responses from the right and left labyrinths independently
ABR (AUDITORY BRAINSTEM RESPONSE)
This test is to assess the auditory nerve and brainstem functions by taking recordings from a few small electrodes taped to the patient’s head to track the sound that is delivered through a headset or inserted earphone in the patient’s ears. There is no radiation involved and the patient is not required to perform any task, but to stay relaxed.
ECoG (ELECTROCOCHLEOGRAPHY)
This test is to measure the responses of the inner ear hair cells to sound stimulus and detect the presence of endolymphatic hydrops.
The test involves taking recordings from two small electrodes taped on to the patient’s head and from one very flexible and small ball electrode placed in the patient’s ear canal. The sound is delivered through a headset or inserted earphones in the patient’s ears. There is no discomfort with this test and the ear drops are felt like a short tickling sensation. There is no radiation involved and the patient is not required to perform any task, but to stay relaxed.
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