Location
Suwanee, GA
Start Date
11-5-2023 1:00 PM
End Date
11-5-2023 4:00 PM
Description
INTRODUCTION:
Vestibular goggles are infrared video goggles that can improve patient care by providing accurate assessment and treatment of vertigo, dizziness, and feelings of imbalance. These goggles track the eye movement allowing clinicians to evaluate the function of the vestibular system, which controls balance and spatial coordination. During an evaluation, the patient wears the infrared goggle while performing a series of movements designed to stimulate the vestibular system. The embedded infrared cameras capture eye motion, providing real time information to the clinician. Physical therapists (PT) need to be able to detect nystagmus and its direction in order to provide appropriate interventions or refer to another appropriate provider. However, the repetitive jerking eye motion can be quite subtle and difficult to observe especially for novice PT clinicians and students. The aim of this study was to determine if specific education regarding nystagmus and the use of infrared goggles would enhance student confidence in correctly identifying the associated direction.
METHODS:
Twenty-one 1st year Doctor of Physical Therapy students participated in this study. Education on assessing directional nystagmus was provided prior to each of the two sessions by a licensed physical therapist via an educational pamphlet that covered the difference between physiological vs pathological nystagmus, along with the different directions that the eye could be at with a diagram of examples. YouTube videos of patients with nystagmus with and without the use of infrared goggles were also shown as examples with the correct type and direction of nystagmus given for each video. In the first session, participants observed three videos, one minute each, of patients with nystagmus that were not wearing infrared goggles and were asked to identify the direction and type of nystagmus. The participants had five minutes to fill out a survey assessing their confidence on identifying each direction. In the second session, participants observed three videos, one minute each, of patients with nystagmus using infrared goggles and were asked to identify the direction and type of nystagmus. The videos were provided by Vestibular First, a company which supplies vestibular equipment. A 10-point Likert scale survey consisting of four questions was administered after both sessions to determine student’s level of confidence regarding their ability to identify the direction and type of the nystagmus. Participants had five minutes to complete the survey.
RESULTS:
Descriptive statistics will be reported, and a repeated measures t-test will determine whether there is a statistically significant difference between the means with the level of significance set at p=.05.
Embargo Period
12-21-2023
Does the Use of Vestibular Infrared Video Goggles Impact Physical Therapy Student’s Ability to Diagnose the Direction of Nystagmus?
Suwanee, GA
INTRODUCTION:
Vestibular goggles are infrared video goggles that can improve patient care by providing accurate assessment and treatment of vertigo, dizziness, and feelings of imbalance. These goggles track the eye movement allowing clinicians to evaluate the function of the vestibular system, which controls balance and spatial coordination. During an evaluation, the patient wears the infrared goggle while performing a series of movements designed to stimulate the vestibular system. The embedded infrared cameras capture eye motion, providing real time information to the clinician. Physical therapists (PT) need to be able to detect nystagmus and its direction in order to provide appropriate interventions or refer to another appropriate provider. However, the repetitive jerking eye motion can be quite subtle and difficult to observe especially for novice PT clinicians and students. The aim of this study was to determine if specific education regarding nystagmus and the use of infrared goggles would enhance student confidence in correctly identifying the associated direction.
METHODS:
Twenty-one 1st year Doctor of Physical Therapy students participated in this study. Education on assessing directional nystagmus was provided prior to each of the two sessions by a licensed physical therapist via an educational pamphlet that covered the difference between physiological vs pathological nystagmus, along with the different directions that the eye could be at with a diagram of examples. YouTube videos of patients with nystagmus with and without the use of infrared goggles were also shown as examples with the correct type and direction of nystagmus given for each video. In the first session, participants observed three videos, one minute each, of patients with nystagmus that were not wearing infrared goggles and were asked to identify the direction and type of nystagmus. The participants had five minutes to fill out a survey assessing their confidence on identifying each direction. In the second session, participants observed three videos, one minute each, of patients with nystagmus using infrared goggles and were asked to identify the direction and type of nystagmus. The videos were provided by Vestibular First, a company which supplies vestibular equipment. A 10-point Likert scale survey consisting of four questions was administered after both sessions to determine student’s level of confidence regarding their ability to identify the direction and type of the nystagmus. Participants had five minutes to complete the survey.
RESULTS:
Descriptive statistics will be reported, and a repeated measures t-test will determine whether there is a statistically significant difference between the means with the level of significance set at p=.05.