4 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
The purpose of this research study is to test whether a Computerized Rotational Head Impulse Test-Vertical (crHIT-vertical) is able to reliably evaluate the vertical semicircular canals in patients with vestibular dysfunctions.
Vestibular disorders are among the most common causes of disability in society. Vestibular dysfunction affects over one third of the population over the age of 40 and a significant percentage of the younger population. Vestibular disorders have a dramatic impact on daily life impacting work, relationships, and even activities of daily living. Diagnosis of vestibular disorders is often facilitated by functional vestibular tests. The most common of these tests is videonystagmography, during a critical portion of which, the "caloric test," warm and cool stimuli are presented in the outer ears to stimulate the inner ear vestibular system. The vertigo produced by caloric stimulation not uncommonly results in nausea, and sometimes vomiting, sometimes to the point of not being able to complete the test protocol. In this project we examine a device that has shown promise and might be beneficial for improving the testing for vestibular disorders. We hypothesize that with this device, the nausea associated with caloric testing will be significantly reduced when the device is used, while it will not change the results of the test in a statistically significantly manner. To date, the device has only been systematically tested on healthy volunteers.
The goal of this observational study is to evaluate whether a novel smartphone-based (mHealth) application can accurately assess gaze stability and vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) function in adults with vestibular dysfunction. This pilot clinical ststudy includes adult participants with and without unilateral peripheral vestibular dysfunction to determine the feasibility of a mobile-based assessment of gaze stabilization. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. Can a prototype mHealth application accurately measure outcomes associated with standard dynamic gaze stabilization tests (e.g., static visual acuity, perception time, and maximal head velocity measurements)? 2. How well does a prototype mHealth application identify patients with unilateral peripheral vestibular dysfunction when compared to healthy volunteers? 3. Does a prototype mHealth application differ in identifying patients with unilateral peripheral vestibular dysfunction when compared to a commercially-available computer system that uses a gold-standard head-mounted sensor for gaze stabilization testing (GST)? Participants will: Perform the well-established GST protocol using a commercially-available computer system that uses a gold-standard head-mounted sensor Perform the well-established GST protocol a novel mHealth application The following outcomes will be measured: 1. Standard visual acuity (SVA): The smallest readable target based on the user's best-aided vision 2. A perception time test (PTT): The shortest time a target can be accurately identified 3. A dynamic gaze stability test (GST): The maximal head velocity at which a patient can accurately identify the orientation of a presented visual target This pilot clinical study will provide evidence to further support the use of mobile technology as a low-cost, accessible alternative for vestibular function assessment, particularly for patients in resource-limited settings.
The purpose of this project is to determine the effects of mild traumatic brain injury and blast exposure on the inner ear balance and central nervous systems.