herapies for their vestibular hypofunction.Menière’s disease (MD) still presents both diagnostic and therapeutic difficulties. Today, this pathology is diagnosed only on clinical criteria. The development of high resolution magnetic resonance imaging of the inner is very promising to improve diagnostic criteria in MD. MD treatment depending on the practitioner and the clinical center, is mainly based on conservative therapies, and if this fails, non-ablative or ablative therapies. MD therefore always exposes clinicians to diagnostic uncertainties, but also to therapeutic difficulties which still lead to destructive treatments, in the absence of targeted, curative treatments, acting on the cause and not on the consequence of the pathology.

The traditional Sensory Organization Test (T-SOT) is a gold standard balance test; however, the psychometric properties of assessing sensory organization with a virtual-reality-based posturography device have not been established.

Our overall aims were to assess the criterion, concurrent, and convergent validity of a next-generation Sensory Organization Test (NG-SOT).

Thirty-four adults (17 vestibular-impaired) participated. We compared the area under the curve (AUC) for receiver operator characteristic (ROC) analysis for the T-SOT and NG-SOT composite scores. Between-group and between-test differences for the composite and sensory analysis scores from each SOT were assessed using Wilcoxon Rank Sum tests. Additionally, we ran Spearman correlations between the NG-SOT composite score and outcomes of interest.

The AUCs for the NG-SOT and T-SOT were 0.950 (0.883, 1) and 0.990 (0.969, 1) respectively (p = 0.168). The median composite, vision, and visual preference scores were lower on the NG-SOT compared to the T-SOT; whereas, the median somatosensory score was higher on the NG-SOT compared to the T-SOT. Associations between the composite score and patient-reported or performance-based outcomes ranged from poor to strong.

The NG-SOT is a valid measure of balance in adults. However, the results of the NG-SOT and T-SOT should not be used interchangeably.

The NG-SOT is a valid measure of balance in adults. However, the results of the NG-SOT and T-SOT should not be used interchangeably.

The cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential (cVEMP) can be affected by the recording parameters used to quantify the response.

We investigated the effects of electrode placement and montage on the variability and symmetry of sternocleidomastoid (SCM) contraction strength and cVEMP amplitude.

We used inter-side asymmetries in electrode placement to mimic small clinical errors in twenty normal subjects. cVEMPs were recorded at three active electrode sites and referred to the distal SCM tendon (referential montages upper, conventional and lower). Additional bipolar montages were constructed offline to measure SCM contraction strength using closely-spaced electrode pairs (bipolar montages superior, lower and outer).

The conventional montage generally produced the largest cVEMP amplitudes (P < 0.001). SCM contraction strength was larger for referential montages than bipolar ones (P < 0.001). Inter-side electrode position errors produced large variations in cVEMP and SCM contraction strength asymmetries in some subjects, producing erroneous abnormal test results.

Recording locations affect cVEMP amplitude and SCM contraction strength. In most cases, small changes in electrode position had only minor effects but, in a minority of subjects, the different montages produced large changes in cVEMP and contraction amplitudes and asymmetry, potentially affecting test outcomes.

Recording locations affect cVEMP amplitude and SCM contraction strength. In most cases, small changes in electrode position had only minor effects but, in a minority of subjects, the different montages produced large changes in cVEMP and contraction amplitudes and asymmetry, potentially affecting test outcomes.

A number of theoretical accounts have been put forward to explain the ability to simultaneously track multiple visually indistinguishable objects over a period of time. Serial processing models of visual tracking focus on the maintenance of the spatial locations of every single item over time. A more recent mechanism describes multiple object tracking as the ability to maintain a higher order representation of an abstract spatial configuration built by the illusory connection of the tracked items through their transition.

The current study investigates the correspondence between these serial and parallel tracking accounts and the right hemispheric specialization for the space-based vs. left hemispheric for object-based attentional processing.

Electrophysiological brain responses were recorded in two groups of patients with right- and left hemispheric lesions while performing in a multiple object tracking task.

The results suggest a failure to distinguish single item information for the right hemispheric patients accompanied by the absence of a known electrophysiological marker associated with single item tracking. Importantly, left hemispheric patients showed a graded behavioral and electrophysiological response to probe stimuli as a function of the congruence of the probe with the relevant target stimuli.

The current data suggest that the differential contribution of serial and parallel tracking mechanisms during object tracking can partly be explained by the different functional contributions of the right and left brain hemispheres.

The current data suggest that the differential contribution of serial and parallel tracking mechanisms during object tracking can partly be explained by the different functional contributions of the right and left brain hemispheres.

Repetition of motor imagery improves the motor function of patients with stroke. However, patients who develop severe upper-limb paralysis after chronic stroke often have an impaired ability to induce motor imagery. We have developed a method to passively induce kinesthetic perception using visual stimulation (kinesthetic illusion induced by visual stimulation [KINVIS]).

This pilot study further investigated the effectiveness of KINVIS in improving the induction of kinesthetic motor imagery in patients with severe upper-limb paralysis after stroke.

Twenty participants (11 with right hemiplegia and 9 with left hemiplegia; mean time from onset [±standard deviation], 67.0±57.2 months) with severe upper-limb paralysis who could not extend their paretic fingers were included in this study. The ability to induce motor imagery was evaluated using the event-related desynchronization (ERD) recorded during motor imagery before and after the application of KINVIS for 20 min. The alpha- and beta-band ERDs around thhough KINVIS is a passive intervention, its short-term application can induce changes related to the motor output system.Myelomeningocele (MMC) arises from an early neural developmental anomaly and results in a variety of structural abnormalities and associated functional neurologic deficits. As such, neurologic issues are central to virtually all clinical problems. Neurosurgical intervention strives to correct or improve these defects and prevent secondary complications. These interventions include closure of the open myelomeningocele and management (across the life span) of hydrocephalus, the Chiari II malformation (C2M) and tethered spinal cord (TSC). The development of pre-natal closure techniques and reports of improved outcome with in-utero closure (IUMC) have revolutionized the neurosurgical approach to myelomeningocele. Controversies remain surrounding patient selection, maternal risks, technique of IUMC (endoscopic vs. open) and long-term outcomes. However, real gains include reduced rates of hydrocephalus, modestly improved motor capabilities and reduction in C2M morbidity. For many decades, the cornerstone of treatment of hydrocephalus for many decades has been the placement and support of ventricular shunts. Endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) with or without choroid plexus coagulation (ETV/CPC) is an appealing alternate strategy that avoids the morbidity and complications associated with shunts. The exact criteria for ETV-CPC candidacy and best metrics for outcome analysis remain active areas of debate and controversy. Similarly, neurosurgical management C2M, has centered upon the indications and clinical thresholds for performing posterior fossa surgical decompression. Tethered spinal cord management incorporates the diagnosis and surgical management of adhesions formed at the initial closure site, the consequent longitudinal traction related stress on the cord and the resulting neurologic signs and symptoms.Women and girls with spina bifida have specific health care concerns. It is essential that they, and their health care providers have access to information to help them make healthy choices throughout their lifespan. This article aims to address key aspects of health pertinent to girls and women with spina bifida and outlines the SB Women’s Health Guidelines for the Care of People with Spina Bifida. Further research into this area is needed.Nutritional challenges and a lack of activity can lead to health problems across the lifespan for people with spina bifida. Children and adults with spina bifida are also at greater risk of being classified as overweight or obese compared to their peers without the condition. Therefore, early recognition of nutrition problems, weight management counseling, and timely referrals for evaluation and management of diet and activity can help those with spina bifida and their families achieve a healthy lifestyle. This article details the development of the Nutrition, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity Guidelines, which are part of the 2018 Spina Bifida Association’s Fourth Edition of the Guidelines for the Care of People with Spina Bifida. It discusses the identification and management of poor nutrition and prevention of obesity for children, adolescents, and adults with spina bifida and highlights areas requiring further research.The Spina Bifida Association (SBA) is the organization that represents the needs of the population with spina bifida (SB). They are tasked with advocacy, education, optimizing care, and providing a social voice for those with spina bifida. In response to the tenet of optimizing care they were tasked with developing up to date clinical care guidelines which address health care needs for those impacted by spina bifida throughout their lifespan. This article will discuss the SB Mobility Healthcare Guidelines from the 2018 Spina Bifida Association’s Fourth Edition of the Guidelines for the Care of People with Spina Bifida.Quality of Life (QOL) and Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) are important concepts across the life span for those with spina bifida (SB). This article discusses the SB Quality of Life Healthcare Guidelines from the 2018 Spina Bifida Association’s Fourth Edition of the Guidelines for the Care of People with Spina Bifida. The focus of these QOL Guidelines was to summarize the evidence and expert opinions on how to mitigate factors that negatively impact QOL/HRQOL or enhance the factors positively related to QOL/HRQOL, the measurement of QOL/HRQOL and the gaps that need to be addressed in future research.