Meniere's Disease

Researchers are evaluating a combined therapy called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Integrated Vestibular Rehabilitation (ACTIVE) for individuals aged 18 to 49 who have vestibular symptoms related to mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). This trial compares ACTIVE with usual care vestibular rehabilitation (VESTIB CONTROL) to see which approach better reduces symptoms and improves recovery. The study focuses on military service members and civilians who experience ongoing dizziness and related impairments after mTBI. Participants in the ACTIVE group will receive four weekly 90-minute sessions combining Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and targeted vestibular rehabilitation exercises, along with daily at-home activities over four weeks. The ACT component focuses on psychological flexibility and mindfulness. The comparison group will receive usual care vestibular rehabilitation and other supportive treatments excluding ACT, also delivered weekly over four weeks. Both groups will have individualized care based on their needs. Participants will be assessed before treatment and at 4 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months after treatment ends. Assessments include dizziness severity, anxiety levels, vestibular function tests, symptom questionnaires, and activity monitoring using Fitbit devices. Researchers will monitor symptoms, functional improvements, and return to activity status. The total participation period covers about six months, allowing for evaluation of both short- and longer-term outcomes.

Researchers are developing and managing the AnovaOS Network Powered Patient Registry to collect real-world patient data across various diseases globally. This registry aims to capture meaningful clinical information on diagnosis, infection course, treatments, and outcomes to enhance understanding and support future clinical trials and observational studies. The registry serves as a resource to better understand, prevent, diagnose, and treat diverse health conditions. Participants' data will be gathered through this registry, which can also be used to recruit individuals for clinical trials and observational studies on promising therapies. The registry collects ongoing information on patients' health status and treatments, enabling long-term monitoring and analysis. This observational study does not involve administering treatments but focuses on data collection and management. Participants will provide information through questionnaires or instruments, either personally or via an informed proxy, with an expected follow-up once per year. The research team will assess natural history, clinical effectiveness, safety, and quality of care over a period of five years. The registry includes patients with a wide range of conditions, and participation requires informed consent and the ability to complete follow-up data collection.

Researchers are conducting an observational study to analyze physical condition abnormalities, mental health, and blood test results in patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). The study also aims to create a brain MRI database to identify patients at high risk of residual dizziness and develop a comprehensive system for diagnosing, treating, and recovering from residual dizziness in China. Participants include confirmed BPPV patients and healthy individuals without BPPV. Both groups will undergo behavioral and psychological assessments, blood sample collection, and three brain MRI scans—at the start of the study, and again one month and six months after treatment for BPPV patients. Healthy controls complete these assessments only once at inclusion. During the study, participants will fill out psychological questionnaires, provide blood samples at a local lab, and receive brain MRI scans. Researchers will monitor differences in brain structure and function, vertigo symptoms, and blood markers over time. Additional assessments include fatigue, sleep, cognition, executive function, anxiety, depression, verbal memory, working memory, and auditory attention. The study will run until September 2026.

Researchers are investigating the effects of dynamic cycling and inclined treadmill training on balance and gait in children aged 8 to 10 years who have hearing impairments. Hearing loss in children can lead to vestibular dysfunctions, which may cause delays in gross motor development and balance difficulties, affecting their ability to participate in physical activities and social interactions. This study aims to improve understanding of how these therapies may support motor skills and overall development in this population. The study involves two groups: one group will perform dynamic cycling exercises focused on balance training, core strengthening, and proprioceptive activities for 30 minutes, three times a week, over six consecutive weeks. The other group will use an inclined treadmill set at a 10-degree angle for the same duration and frequency. Both interventions are device-based and designed to enhance balance and gait in children with hearing impairment. Participants will be assessed using the Dynamic Gait Index and the Clinical Test of Sensory Interaction and Balance (CTSIB), with each test lasting 10 to 15 minutes. Evaluations occur before and after the six-week intervention period to measure changes in balance and gait. The study uses a randomized design with single masking to monitor progress and safety throughout the participation period, which starts from September 27, 2024, and ends by December 30, 2024.

This research aims to evaluate low-gain hearing aids programmed using either conventional audiogram-based methods or a new speech-based audiometry (SBA) approach in blast-exposed Veterans experiencing functional hearing difficulties (FHDs) despite normal or near-normal hearing. Blast injury has been linked to increased risk of auditory problems, and this study focuses on improving hearing aid fitting to better address speech recognition and listening challenges in this population. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive hearing aids programmed with either the SBA method or standard audiogram-based settings. Each group is further divided into subgroups where some use their hearing aids daily over six weeks, while others use them only for outcome testing. The study includes prescreening, preparatory visits for fitting and verification, a baseline period with assessments including fMRI and speech-in-noise tests, a five-week treatment period with weekly monitoring, and a follow-up period with repeated assessments. Throughout the study, participants will undergo a series of evaluations including audiological exams, questionnaires on hearing difficulties and cognitive function, speech recognition tests, and brain imaging during speech tasks. Hearing aid performance and usage are closely monitored with specialized equipment and data logging. Primary outcomes include changes in speech-in-noise test scores and subjective hearing aid benefit measured before and after the six-week intervention. Safety and hearing aid function are regularly checked during weekly visits, with study completion followed by transition back to routine care.

Researchers are investigating disorders of hearing instability, which cause sudden changes and fluctuations in hearing and speech understanding, but are not well understood or effectively treated. This study aims to create a group of people with hearing instability and analyze their hearing and balance tests along with radiologic and immunologic markers over time. Healthy volunteers will also be included to establish normal ranges for specific MRI measures. Participants will undergo detailed hearing assessments using headphones or earplugs to listen to various tones, balance tests involving goggles, air stimulation of the ears, and spinning chair tests. They will have MRI scans of the inner ear and brain using contrast agents. Blood samples will be collected to study immune markers. Both affected individuals and healthy volunteers aged 18 to 80 can participate, and the study will last up to 15 months. During the study, participants will complete medical histories, physical exams, and hearing tests at scheduled intervals up to 450 days. Researchers will measure hearing fluctuations, immune profiles, and imaging biomarkers to identify features associated with hearing instability. These evaluations include word recognition scores, otoacoustic emissions, vestibular tests, and MRI analysis. The study also monitors participants' safety and compliance throughout the participation period.

Researchers are conducting a study to develop and validate a static balance assessment tool specifically designed for high-functioning older adults aged 65 years or older. This study aims to address limitations of traditional balance tests, which often fail to detect subtle differences in balance in this population, by extending testing times and increasing difficulty with eyes-closed conditions. The study focuses on creating a reliable tool to support healthy aging and prevent falls in community and long-term care settings. Participants will undergo a standardized static balance assessment protocol that includes body composition measurements, open-eyes and closed-eyes single-leg stance tests, and the Balance Error Scoring System performed on both firm and foam surfaces. Each participant will complete two identical testing sessions spaced 5 to 7 days apart, with both on-site and video-based scoring conducted by trained assessors to measure test-retest reliability. Throughout the study, participants will complete two assessment sessions where various balance tests are performed and scored. Researchers will collect data on body composition, muscle mass, fat percentage, metabolic rate, and balance performance under different conditions. The main outcome measured is the reliability of the balance assessment scores within 7 days. This study will help establish a sensitive and practical balance test that can be used to monitor balance changes and guide fall prevention efforts in older adults.

Consultations for vertigo in general practice are challenging because many practitioners lack experience, which can lead to inaccurate patient referrals and missed opportunities or misuse of healthcare resources. This research evaluates a diagnostic aid tool designed to help general practitioners manage vertigo patients more effectively. The study is observational and conducted at the Strasbourg University Hospital to assess how well this tool supports diagnosis and referral decisions. The diagnostic aid tool is a decision tree that guides general practitioners in diagnosing vertigo and deciding on patient referrals. The study involves reviewing patient files where initial care was given by a medical student using the decision tree, followed by a definitive diagnosis from an ENT physician during the same hospital visit. The tool's performance is evaluated by comparing its diagnosis against the ENT specialist's diagnosis. Participants will have had their consultation data, including interviews, clinical exams, and diagnoses, recorded and available for review. Researchers will measure the percentage of cases where the decision tree diagnosis agrees with the ENT physician's diagnosis within one year. The study excludes patients with chronic vestibular conditions or incomplete records, focusing on real-world application. Participation involves retrospective data review without direct interventions or follow-up visits.

This research project studies how balance is affected by special visual stimulation called optokinetic stimulation, which can cause dizziness known as visually induced dizziness (VID). The study focuses on patients with ongoing symptoms after a concussion and those with non-traumatic dizziness, comparing them to healthy participants to better understand the balance and symptom responses. The aim is to improve objective diagnosis of VID and support better treatment and management for affected patients. Participants undergo optokinetic stimulation using either a physical rotating disc or virtual reality goggles that display bright moving dots in specific patterns and directions. Healthy subjects experience a cross-over design, receiving both physical and virtual stimulations in varied sequences, while patients are examined with either physical or virtual stimulation to avoid excessive symptoms. Each stimulation trial lasts about 30 seconds in a controlled dark environment. During the study, researchers record participants' balance responses and document symptoms like dizziness, headache, and nausea at multiple time points during and after stimulation. The main outcome measures include the sensitivity of postural responses to visual stimuli, different postural characteristics, and the severity of visually induced dizziness. The study runs from May 2025 until October 2027, involving randomized participant allocation and single masking to support reliable assessment.

Music therapy uses the effects of music on the body and mind to help treat illness or trauma. This research focuses on passive music therapy, where patients listen to calming music, to see if it can reduce anxiety and pain around the time of ENT (ear, nose, throat) surgery. Previous smaller studies suggested benefits but were limited by their size, so this study includes a larger patient group to better understand the effects. The study compares two groups: one that receives a 20-minute session of passive music therapy using an app before surgery, and a control group that receives standard care without music therapy. The music therapy involves listening to selected calming music through headphones while resting before entering the operating room. This randomized study will be conducted at a single center with about 500 participants. Participants will be involved for about two days, covering admission, surgery, and discharge. Researchers will measure anxiety levels using visual scales and questionnaires, monitor pain levels, blood pressure, medication use, surgery timing, and satisfaction of patients and staff. The study will also look at the economic impact of the therapy during the hospital stay, with all assessments done within 6 to 24 hours depending on the surgery type.