As one of the founders of Education Resources, I often have the opportunity to attend one of the conferences that I have helped to develop and it is always a treat ( both from the perspective of learning new and exciting material, and meeting with participants and hearing the day to day challenges faced in the clinic, school or office) . This past weekend I had the privilege of attending Dr. Rick Clendaniel’s Advanced Vestibular Rehab course. Rick has been a colleague, professional friend and inspiration for nearly 15 years and his easy manner of clearly explaining very complex material is always so refreshing and energizing.
It was really interesting to learn about some of the newer diagnoses/research related to vestibular dysfunction such as PPPD (persistent postural perceptual dizziness), vestibular migraines and anxiety related vestibular disorders. BUT what I especially want to share in this blog is a free app that Rick shared with us in this course. You should download it today!
aVOR (angular Vestibular-Ocular Reflex) is a teaching, training and test tool for the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR), vestibular system and its disorders, including BPPV. It demonstrates saccadic eye movements, including those caused by canalithiasis (free-floating particles in the canals), and both functioning and dysfunctional VOR. It shows how BPPV is caused and treated.
aVOR demonstrates how head movement has an automatic influence on eye direction, the impact of dysfunction of the semicircular canals, their size, shape and location in the head, and the causes of nystagmus.
https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/avor/id497245573?mt=8
This is a great teaching tool for patients of all ages and it is a great 3 D representation for clinicians who are learning the ropes of vestibular diagnosis.
I invite you to share any other tools that you have found helpful or to comment on your experience in using aVOR.
Rick also shared his thoughts on some very complex cases that were presented and engaged us in critical problem-solving. If you are dealing with challenging cases, please post them here and we will reach out to colleagues for suggestions and discussion.
Thank you.
Carol Loria, President, Education Resources Inc.