Leen Maes
Leen Maes is an audiologist and appointed as associate professor (80%) at the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences at the Ghent University and as scientific employee (20%) at the ENT Department of the University Hospital Ghent. She is specialized in vestibular assessment techniques. Her vestibular research group (BalanceCare4Kids) investigates the impact of a vestibular dysfunction on the motor and cognitive function in healthy as well as vestibular-impaired children; the vestibular system of hearing-impaired children, children with a neurodevelopmental disorder, and children with hypotonia; and the impact of a congenital cytomegalovirus infection and a cochlear implant on the vestibular function of children. She initiated a vestibular screening for each hearing-impaired new-born child in Flanders (VIS-Flanders project; www.vis-flanders.be), which is the first vestibular screening program worldwide. Her latest project (VIS-REHAB) is focused on optimizing the vestibular rehabilitation trajectory of children with a vestibular dysfunction in Flanders.
Sessions
Description: vestibular disorders in children are more common than previously thought. This session aims to educate the audience about the prevalence, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of vestibular dysfunction in the pediatric population
outcome objectives: . This session will offer practical tips and advice in how to recognize vestibular disorders in children, how to diagnose them, and how to treat them most effectively.
background: over the past decade more attention has been given to children suffering from vestibular and balance problems. Recently, the IPBN (international pediatric balance network) was founded to bring clinicians and scientists worldwide together to optimise care for these patients. The speakers for this session are board members of the IPBN: leen maes, professor in audiology at ghent university (belgium); soumit dasgupta, neurotologist and audiovestibular physician at alder hey children’s hospital (UK) and josine widdershoven, pediatric otorhinolaryngologist at maastricht university medical center (the netherlands).
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