Balance System Assessments

At Ochsner, we know that as people age, balance diminishes.  The CDC reports that one in three individuals over 65 years old falls annually.  This equates to over 20 million people a year.  Ochsner’s balance lab can evaluate this problem along with assessing the ear for inner ear for feelings of dizziness.  

Balance System Assessment

Ochsner's balance lab is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment for assessing complaints of dizziness or vertigo as well as balance problem complaints. Nystagmography, the "gold standard" for the laboratory assessment of complaints of "vertigo" and "dizziness," has been around for 50 years. Our lab uses VideoNystagmoGraphy (VNG) to record and analyze the eye movements associated with these complaints including testing for BPPV (Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo), the most commonly occurring inner ear-related dizziness problem. More generalized balance problems are assessed using Computerized Dynamic Posturography that measures how the inner ear, vision and somatosensation interact for balance. Together these two clinical exams provide both diagnostic information and form the basis for treatment recommendations