What do you recommend when using optokinetic stimulation in an acquired brain injury population with seizure precautions?
Answer:
“When I utilize optokinetic stimulation, whether it be striped or checkered paper, or utilizing any kind of screens, I typically get MD clearance. I look at the full medical history, whether they’re on seizure medications, if they’ve had a past history of seizures, and usually that’s not one of the first things that I go to. So what I’ll do is start typically with just true motion because a lot of our acquired brain injuries, whether it be acute or chronic will have true motion sensitivity in addition to visual motion sensitivity, and so I just want to say thank you because that really is a concern, is you don’t want to trigger a seizure. You don’t want to make the patient worse, but you also want to address their deficits. There was some good information about less than three Hertz being at a lower risk for the speed of the optokinetic stripes versus greater than three Hertz. So hopefully, that was a good answer to your question.”
RESOURCES & LINKS:
- This Q&A is an excerpt from the Vestibular Health Summit Sessions
- The Vestibular Health Summit Sessions are included with 360NeuroGO Enterprise
FACULTY:
Kendal Reddell, PT, DPT, NCS
Kendal Reddell has a doctorate in physical therapy and is an American Physical Therapy Association Board Certified Clinical Neurologic Specialist. She also holds a certificate of competency in the evaluation and treatment of vestibular disorders from Emory University. Kendal is a Parkinson’s Wellness Recovery (PWR!) and LSVT BIG certified therapist, specializing in treating individuals with Parkinson’s disease. Dr. Reddell is a proud graduate of Tarleton State University where she competed in NCAA Women’s Basketball. She received her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in 2010, and has worked in a variety of settings specializing in brain injury, stroke, Parkinson’s Disease, and vestibular disorders.
Alex Tarabbia, PT, DPT
Alex Tarabbia has a Doctorate in Physical Therapy. She developed a passion for vestibular therapy when volunteering at a specialty balance clinic in her college years. This passion grew while working with patients with vestibular disorders through graduate level clinical internships, as well as taking advanced coursework in vestibular therapy in graduate school. Prior to joining the 360 Balance & Dizziness team, Dr. Tarabbia worked with patients with a variety of orthopedic injuries and balance and mobility impairments in the outpatient setting. Dr. Tarabbia completed her undergraduate work at Gordon College, in Massachusetts, graduating Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology. She received her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the University of St. Augustine, in Austin, Texas.
