Video Head Impulse Testing: Changing the Dynamic of the Vertigo Consultation

Video Head Impulse Testing: Changing the Dynamic of the Vertigo Consultation
Neil Bailie

Video head impulse testing (VHIT) is a rapidly maturing technology that builds on the clinical utility of the bedside head impulse test first described by Halmagyi and Curthoys. It offers the ability to test VOR responses from all 6 semi-circular canals at physiological angular acceleration rates. When combined with o- and c-VEMP
testing, it is now possible to have a comprehensive measure of an individual’s labyrinthine function in a time frame that is practical for the outpatient consultation.
With the introduction of VHIT into our own tertiary referral vertigo clinic, we have seen a significant increase in the number of patients receiving a diagnosis at the
first attendance, reducing the time for treatment intervention or onward referral and decreasing the necessity for follow-up consultations. This talk will provide an
overview of the technical aspects of VHIT testing and illustrate the clinical utility of the test with a number of clinical examples.