Neuro-otology

About

Our neuro-otology service is a centre of national excellence for patients with dizzy, balance and eye movement disorders and we receive referrals from around the UK.

The service is run by two consultants, Professor Adolfo Bronstein MD PhD FRCP (Imperial College London) and Dr Barry Seemungal PhD FRCP (Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust), who both regularly lecture on balance and dizziness nationally and internationally.

They have provided input to NICE guidelines on vertigo and NHS England initiatives.

Conditions and treatments

Our specialist neuro-otology clinics provide clinical assessment, laboratory testing, final diagnosis and treatment plans in one visit. For patients referred with refractory and chronic dizziness following head injury (at six to 18 months post-injury), we are proud to note that we achieve 80 per cent symptom-free rates within six months.

Critically, dizziness is an independent risk for unemployment post-head injury (at six months, 75 per cent of non-dizzy head injury patients are back at work versus 33 per cent with dizziness).

We work closely with our patients to develop effective treatment plans for a variety of dizzy, balance and eye movement disorders, including:

• Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)
• Chronic dizziness and gait disorders
• Visually-induced dizziness
• Meniere’s disease
• Vestibular migraine
• Vestibular neuritis
• Central vestibular disorders
• Nystagmus

Clinical trials and research

We are an academic department which means that we are continuously involved in deepening our knowledge of clinical disorders that cause balance complaints, dizziness and eye movement problems.

We therefore have ongoing research studies and if you are interested in participating please ask about our ongoing studies. Please see our areas of research here.