Jacob Brodsky
Dr. Brodsky is a pediatric otolaryngologist and is the director/co-founder of the Balance and Vestibular Program at Boston Children’s Hospital. He is also Associate Professor of Otolaryngology at Harvard Medical School. His clinical and academic work focuses on disorders of the middle and inner ear, including the medical and surgical management of vestibular disorders and hearing loss. He has published widely on these topics and routinely presents his work at national and international meetings. He has particular research interests on the effects of migraine and of concussion on the vestibular system. Dr. Brodsky completed his Otolaryngology residency at Upstate Medical University in 2011 and his Pediatric Otolaryngology fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital in 2012.
Sessions
Pediatric vestibular medicine is a relatively new specialty, but has grown drastically in size and scope over the past couple of decades. Newer testing technologies have made testing feasible at progressively younger ages. Our understanding of the causes of vestibular symptoms in children and the role of vestibular testing in diagnosing them have also progressed significantly, allowing for better standardization and universalization of testing protocols. Vestibular testing may also play vital roles in determining candidacy for new therapies for pediatric hearing loss, such as cochlear implants for single sided deafness and gene therapy for congenital hearing loss. These advances make it essential for anybody caring for children with hearing loss in the modern era to have at least a basic understanding of the current indications, technologies, and approaches to vestibular testing in the pediatric age group. This symposium will be presented on behalf of the recently formed International Pediatric Balance Network (IBPN). It will include lectures and discussion from a group of pediatric vestibular specialists from around the world. Topics will include: . .
Sylvette Wiener Vacher: Limitations of Currently Available Vestibular Testing Approaches in Children
Jeyasakthy Saniasiaya: Role of Vestibular Testing in Evaluating Neurocognitive Development disorders
Leen Maes: Vestibular Infant Screening and Functional Outcomes
François Simon: Vestibular Testing in Cochlear Implantation and Congenital Hearing Loss
Jacob R. Brodsky: Implications of Vestibular Function Assessment in Single Sided Deafness
Functional audio-vestibular testing matters because it transforms symptoms into objective, clinically meaningful information. Dizziness, imbalance, hearing complaints, and vestibular disorders are often complex, and no single test can provide the whole picture. A structured combination of audiological and vestibular assessments helps us localize dysfunction, quantify impairment, guide treatment, and monitor outcomes.
Vestibular Testing in the Pediatric Population: New Indications and Approaches