Sudhakar Jha
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Researchers from the Chalmers University of Technology have developed a new device that uses bone conducted sounds to get better results © Shutterstock
Dizziness is very common in people who are over 65 as they suffer from problems of balancing. And there are some tests to identify the causes of such problems, but they are painful and can damage hearing abilities.
The current method is the 'VEMP' test (Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials) which uses loud sounds to evoke a muscle reflex contraction in the neck and eye muscles, triggered by the vestibular system - the system responsible for our balance. However, it has been termed risky by many.
Taking this into account, researchers from the Chalmers University of Technology have developed a new device that uses bone conducted sounds to get better results.
"We have developed a new type of vibrating device that is placed behind the ear of the patient during the test," said study author Bo Hakansson in the study. The vibrating device is small and compact in size and optimised to provide an adequate sound level for triggering the reflex at frequencies as low as 250 Hz.
In bone conduction transmission, sound waves are transformed into vibrations through the skull, stimulating the cochlea within the ear, in the same way as when sound waves normally go through the ear canal, the eardrum and the middle ear.
"Thanks to this bone conduction technology, the sound levels which patients are exposed to can be minimised. The previous test was like a machine gun going off next to the ear - with this method it will be much more comfortable. The new vibrating device provides a maximum sound level of 75 decibels. The test can be performed at 40 decibels lower than today's method using air conducted sounds through headphones. This eliminates any risk that the test itself could cause hearing damage," said another study author Karl-Johan Freden Jansson in a statement.
Published in the journal, Medical Devices: Evidence and Research, the vibrating device is said to be compatible with standardised equipment for balance diagnostics in healthcare, making it ready to use.