Vestibular Testing Interpretation. Drill and Practice

Vestibular Testing Interpretation offers an easy-to-read and comprehensive overview of vestibular testing. Written with a trainee or junior practitioner in mind, this text couples an evidenced-based review of the most commonly employed vestibular function tests with cases from real patient encounters.

The book is divided into two sections: Section I provides an introduction and approach to vestibular testing, while Section II provides 27 clinical case vignettes. In the case of a reader who is just starting to learn about vestibular testing, the authors recommend going through part one of this book to develop a foundation of the basics of various vestibular tests and their uses. After the reader has a grasp of which test is used and why, it is recommended that the reader proceed with reviews of the patient cases. The book is designed in two sections so the background provided in the first half of the book will help inform the reader to analyze the patient cases. For practitioners who are more experienced with vestibular testing, the authors recommend consulting the first part of the book as needed for touch-up on topics. The primary utility for experienced practitioners will be to work through the patient cases as ‘drill and practice.’ The cases need not be approached in sequential order – they were designed independent to one another, so no intentional order is presented. 

• 27 cases derived from real patient encounters using the latest vestibular testing technologies found in modern clinical vestibular testing laboratories
• Curated references and additional readings are highlighted throughout to enhance reader understanding of key topics
• An overview of the approach to the vestibular patient from the perspective of testing
• Intuitive figures and schematics to supplement the text

Reviews

"Named to Doody's Core Titles in the Health Sciences - Speech, Language & Hearing 2020 list."
—Doody's (May 2020)

"The bulk of the book, 100 pages, is taken up with 27 case studies that are a clever novelty and very thought-provoking [...] We get the findings on videonystagmography, positional and caloric testing, head thrusting and spinning in that chair. Each is illustrated with a graph, of exactly the same format reproduced in every case study. The reader is then invited to write into the book one’s “own Impression”. The authors then offer their interpretation of the findings followed by a differential diagnosis [...] I found this a very useful insight into the significance of the test battery that resulted from my completion of a request form."
—Liam M. Flood, FRCS, FRCSI, in ENT & Audiology News (August 2019)

"The authors have synthesized a vast amount of information and research in a readable, specific way that clinicians can adapt to their knowledge base. In addition, they list other books and research articles that readers can consult for more detail, if desired. This approach keeps the book concise and usable clinically, as intended. The overview chapters synthesize the material well, particularly tables with common vestibular disorders, types of BPPV, and diagnostic criteria. While vestibular books abound, this overview of testing is unique and useful."
—Lori J. Newport, AuD, Biola University, in Doody's Reviews (October 2019)

Authors

Matthew G. Crowson, MD, FRCSC is a Clinical Fellow in Neurotology-Skull Base Surgery at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center. While as an Otolaryngology resident at Duke University, he developed a pointed interest in the diagnosis and management of patients suffering from vestibular disorders. While not a frequent focus of other providers in Otolaryngology, Dr. Crowson believes Otolaryngologists are uniquely positioned to be the preeminent specialists in treating vestibular disorders. Through both his residency experience and training in Vestibular Rehabilitation through the American Physical Therapy Association, he hopes to help advance the field of vestibular medicine so that more patients have access to high quality, definitive care.

Douglas B. Garrison, AuD completed his Clinical Doctorate in Audiology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in 2009. He is currently the clinical director of the Duke Vestibular Disorders Clinic where he sees patients with dizziness and balance disorders. In addition, he is a medical instructor within the Department of Surgery, Division of Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences at the Duke University School of Medicine.

Kristal M. Riska, AuD, PhD, CCC-A is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences at Duke University Medical Center. She received her AuD and PhD from East Carolina University in 2011 and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the Mountain Home VAMC focused on clinical vestibular sciences. Currently she sees vestibular patients clinically and focuses of vestibular clinical research. Her research is directed at improving clinical outcomes of patients with vestibular-related dizziness through improved screening, triage, and assessment techniques that direct patients to rehabilitative healthcare.

Debara L. Tucci, MD, MS, MBA, is Professor of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, and Director of the Cochlear Implant Program at Duke University, where she has practiced in the subspecialty of Neurotology since 1993. As an NIH-funded investigator, her research interests include cochlear implantation, central auditory system plasticity, and hearing healthcare policy and access to care. She has worked in international settings to help colleagues in-country improve hearing health care, and has served in leadership positions for several national and international societies in Otolaryngology and Otology/Neurotology.

David M. Kaylie, MD is a Professor of Surgery in the Division of Head and Neck Surgery & Communications Sciences at Duke University Medical Center. He completed medical school at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine and went on to an Otolaryngology residency at Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland, OR. He then went to Nashville for a fellowship in Neurotology with the Otology Group of Vanderbilt. He remained as faculty there for 4 years before coming to Duke. His interests are in vestibular disorders, skull base tumors and diseases of the ear and hearing.