VAT + ENG Specialist

Neurological Institute of Los Angeles

Private Medical Practices located in Los Angeles, CA & Tarzana, CA

Feeling the room spinning around you and struggling to keep your balance are common symptoms of inner ear problems, and they can be very disorienting. The team at the Neurological Institute of Los Angeles have considerable expertise in conducting vestibular autorotation testing (VAT) and electronystagmography (ENG) to identify the causes of symptoms like these. You can find out more about VAT + ENG by calling one of the practice's offices in Los Angeles, or Glendale, California, or use the online form to schedule a consultation.

VAT + ENG Q & A

What is VAT?

Vestibular autorotation testing (VAT) is a diagnostic test that uses active head rotation and high-frequency sounds to evaluate the function of a specific reflex called the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR). This reflex helps keep your vision stable when your head moves.
To undergo a VAT, you wear a lightweight head strap equipped with a velocity sensor. Your provider at the Neurological Institute of Los Angeles places electrodes around your eyes to measure your eye movements and uses other electrodes to examine your head movements.
During the VAT, you follow a shifting target with your eyes while moving your head up and down or backward and forward. You make these movements in time with computer-generated sounds that get gradually faster.

What is ENG?

Electronystagmography (ENG) is a diagnostic test that measures changes in your eye's electrical field. The Neurological Institute of Los Angeles team uses ENG to detect involuntary rapid eye movement (nystagmus).
Like VAT, ENG involves having electrodes around your eyes. The electrodes record activity in the electrical fields and how it changes when exposed to various light sources and other stimuli.
If the electrical fields in your eyes don't respond as they should, it can indicate a problem affecting your ear or brain.
Several different tests make up an ENG. Your provider selects the combination of tests that's most suitable for your symptoms, taking into account any underlying health issues that might affect the test.

Why would I need VAT + ENG?

VAT + ENG are technologies that the Neurological Institute of Los Angeles team uses to assess patients who have symptoms of disorders such as:

Vertigo
Acoustic neuroma
Labyrinthitis
Usher syndrome
Ménière's disease

These disorders affect your peripheral vestibular system — the parts of your inner ear responsible for balance and spatial orientation.
If you have a problem with this system or the nerves connecting it to your eye muscles or brain, it can cause dizziness, disorientation, and hearing problems.

VAT + ENG are useful in helping to determine the cause of these symptoms when there's no clear diagnosis. The Neurological Institute of Los Angeles team can also identify the location of an injury or lesion using ENG.

To find out more about these painless, noninvasive tests, call the Neurological Institute of Los Angeles today or book an appointment online.