An Adjustable Headholder for Caloric Testing of Semicircular Canal Function

摘要

A device is described for orienting the head of the patient during caloric examination of vestibular nystagmus. The headholder consists of a hinged wedge of plywood with adjustable head clamps which provide adequate but painless restraint of the head. Kidney-shaped basins, shaped to fit snugly under the ear, catch surplus water from each ear. Whereas data collected from 10 subjects using the standard clinical method of pillow support were highly variable between and within subjects, data obtained from 12 normal subjects using the headholder reflected a reduction in variance and a more symmetrical distribution across conditions. (Author)