Answer:
“So the tests that we referred to today is the one where you have your thumbs out and you’re swinging back and forth. And typically with that test, you’re looking for motion sensitivity. With the other version of the test, what I’ll do is I’ll hold the patient’s head. I don’t know if you can see my hands. Let me back up a little bit. I’ll hold the patient’s head and I’ll have them focus on my nose, and I’ll move back and forth. So you’re doing the same thing, except in that one, I’m actually looking at their eyes to see if they’re having saccadic catch-ups, and that would be a central sign. So you can look at two different things with this test. You can look at motion sensitivity, which is going to happen in some of your peripheral impaired patients who don’t necessarily have any central issues. Then when you’re looking at the patient’s eyes and you see those corrective saccades, that is a central sign. So hopefully that clarifies it a little bit. You can look at two separate things using the same test.”
RESOURCES & LINKS:
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.
