Vestibular Continuing Education

Highlights of this Online Continuing Education Course

Upon completion of this course the participant will be able to:

• Perform a comprehensive oculomotor exam and interpret findings for the management of vestibular dysfunction.
• Describe the physiological process of BPPV and explain how specific techniques can help resolve the symptoms associated with BPPV.
• Describe common and complex causes of vestibular dysfunction.
• Identify vestibular complications post mTBI and properly assess for dysfunction.
• Identify psychological problems, such as PPPD, that can affect the management of vestibular disorders and modify treatment programs and goals to incorporate plans to address the psychological problem.
• Recognize episodic vestibular disorders like Meniere’s disease and migraines.
• Identify the role of migraines as both a primary and secondary source that contributes to dizziness and the impact on function and rehab.
• Identify peripheral vestibular hypofunction as it relates to fistula and acoustic schwannoma and the management of bilateral vestibular hypofunction.
• Recognize positional vertigo that has a central etiology.
• Recognize when it is appropriate time to refer a patient to other medical practitioners and present with professional communication skills to the team.
• Identify effective communication skills to understand the whole person, their specific goals to the environment they live in.
• Develop comprehensive differential diagnostic skills and techniques to identify the underlying cause of dizziness.
• Identify the clinical presentation of patients with superior canal dehiscence and current treatment strategies.
• Perform repositioning maneuvers to treat canalithiasis and cupulolithiasis for all the semicircular canals.

Learn From the Expert - Laura Morris, PT, NCS

Laura Morris, PT, NCS is a physical therapist and lecturer with over 25 years of experience in the management of adults with neurologic disorders.

Understanding the Vestibular System

• Learn from an expert vestibular/dizziness physician specialist on the anatomy and function of the vestibular system
• Build a foundation of examination and treatment on an understanding of the Vestibular System
• Understand vestibular dysfunction and common causes

Develop a Greater Understanding of the Oculomotor System and Impairments

• Vestibular system impairment oculomotor screen
• Central involvement, anatomy postural control, autonomic nervous system, oculomotor exam
• Ocular assessment-nystagmus
• Fistula problems - Explanation of a positive test for fistula, vestibular oculomotor screen
• How to apply test results into practice
• Medications and convergence impairments
• Explore intervention for oculomotor impairments
• Intervention and challenges with accommodation

Explore Anxiety and Persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD)

• The issue of psychological factors that may also affect dizziness
• Symptoms of panic attack
• Reported symptoms of anxiety
• Persistent Postural-Perceptual Dizziness (3PD or PPPD)
• Characteristics of PPPD
• Assessment
• Intervention

Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)

• New studies
• Terms and definitions
• Etiology of BPPV
• Assessment
• Canal identification
• Post maneuver instructions
• BPPV management
• Other BPPV considerations
• Cenral positional nystagmus vs. BPPV
• Self maneuvers

Complex Vestibular Disorders

• Episodic dizziness: Meniers vs. Migraine
• Episodic Vestibulopathy
• Meneries disease, diagnosis and interventions
• Migraine, diagnosis, and intervention
• Migraine aura
• Vestibular migraine, diagnosis and intervention
• Peripheral Vestibular Hypofunction
• Vestibular Labyrinthitis
• Vestibular Neuritis
• Perilymphatic Fistula, diagnosis, and treatment
• Superior Canal Dehiscence Syndrome, signs and symptoms, diagnosis and intervention
• Acoustic schwannoma
• Bilateral vestibular hypofunction/loss
• Clinical Practice Guideline for Peripheral Vestibular Hypofunction

Patient Case Studies of Complex Vestibular Disorders

• Bilateral hypofunction due to toxicity
• Assessment utilizing standard assessment tools
• Progression of function - inactivity to walking with poles
• Patient challenges to recovery
• ADL’s and community ambulation

Demonstration and Explainations of Vestibular Tests

• Sermont Maneuver-description and demo
• Deep Head Hanging Maneuver
• Anterior Canal Maneuver
• Anterior Canal Kim Maneuver
• Canalithiasis vs cupulolithiasis
• Horizontal canal canalithiasis
• Liberatory Maneuver
• Alternate Maneuver for Cupulolithiasis
• Dynamic Acuity Test
• Head Thrust Test

Tips and Commonly Asked Questions on Specific Topics

• Oculomotor pearls to testing
• Multiple canal involvement
• Diplopia
• Endpoint nystagmus
• Spontaneous nystagmus
• Smooth Pursuit
• Saccadic test
• Saccadic intrusions
• Gaze evoked nystagmus

Course Test - Evaluate your knowledge

• Use the Healthclick proprietary online education system which provides the online student with:
• Worldwide access to high definition video, anatomical animations and images, and written information
• The highest quality film in the industry, you can see the difference!
• Stop and resume within a course, the Healthclick system will optimize your course based on your device, connection and remembers where you left off.
• Real-time course updates. We are always adding to each courses, updating content, adding animations, these are not static courses!
• Evaluate your knowledge with the course test on any device.
• Print your state course certificate for CE credit.
• Take the online test as many times as need in order to achieve a 70 % or greater score.