About the Master Classes (MC)
Vertigo and dizziness are frequent transdiagnostic symptoms with a lifetime prevalence of around 30%. The two terms cover several multisensory and sensorimotor syndromes of various pathogeneses and aetiologies.
There are three convincing reasons why we should increase our knowledge and improve our skills in this field. The first is the high prevalence of vertigo and dizziness, in neurology, ear-nose-and-throat (ENT) and in general medical practice. The second reason is that most vertigo syndromes can often be correctly diagnosed by means of a careful medical history and physical examination of the patient. The third reason is that once a correct diagnosis is made most patients can nowadays be successfully treated.
Why host the Master Classes?
Vestibular training at the primary level is generally inadequate in many countries, including South Africa. One way to address this is to create learning opportunities on local soil. This will give the opportunity, especially for delegates of the Sub-Saharan Africa region, to attend. Unfortunately, COVID 19 has had a major impact, including travel opportunities and the ability to participate in international courses. This is, therefore a golden learning opportunity for many who the COVID restrictions would otherwise hamper. It also falls in a suspected period of low COVID infestation in South Africa, long before the anticipated 4th wave of this pandemic in South Africa at the end of the year.
In the past, the three one-day MC held in Pretoria, Durban and Cape Town in 2019 were all well received. This led to the expression of the need to host such Master Classes regularly. It is important to note that there will be no Audiology Congress in 2021, and this will also create a good opportunity for audiologists to gain CME points.
Who will benefit from the Master Classes?
The fundamental and practical nature of the program has been elaborated, improved and tested and is now well established. It succeeds in demystifying a problematic topic in medicine. It has been very positively received in the past, and different sources have expressed the desire to continue hosting it in alternating years. Those who will benefit from it include audiologists, neurologists, ophthalmologists, ENT surgeons, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, general practitioners and students in these disciplines.
Topics of this Master Class
This MC on vestibular and ocular motor disorders covers:
- Functional anatomy and basic physiology
- History taking
- Bedside and laboratory examination
- Current diagnostic criteria, pathophysiology, aetiology and current treatment of peripheral, central and functional vestibular disorders, including nystagmus: benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, Menière’s disease, acute unilateral vestibulopathy, bilateral vestibulopathy, vestibular paroxysmia, syndromes of the third mobile window, namely superior canal dehiscence syndrome, acute vestibular syndrome, vestibular migraine, cerebellar dizziness, the most frequent types of nystagmus, functional dizziness, and gait disorders.
In the afternoon session, and as in previous courses, practical hands-on courses on the clinical examination of the vestibular and ocular systems will follow. This will conclude with training on performing video head impulse testing.
About the presenters
Prof. Michael Strupp
Michael is a general neurologist, neurootologist and neuroophtalmologist. He is Professor of Neurology at the Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany. He has authored 426 PubMed listed papers (h-index 80) and five books on vertigo, dizziness and ocular motor disorders. He is currently Editor-in-Chief of Frontiers in Neuro-otology, Joint Chief Editor of the Journal of Neurology and a Member of the Editorial Board of Neurology. He has received many clinical and scientific awards, including the Hallpike-Nylen Award 2106, an Investigator Award of the European Academy of Neurology 2019 and the Galenus von Pergamon Award 2020. He is a very passionate teacher and was awarded ‘Best Teacher’ by the German Neurological Society.
Dr. Louis Hofmeyr
Louis is an ENT surgeon specializing in neuro-otology with over 25 years of experience managing patients with vestibular and auditory disorders. He was a previous Chief ENT Surgeon of the South African National Defense Force (SANDF) and Professor in ENT at the University of Pretoria. Although he is mainly in private practice in Cape Town, he is still involved as a part time researcher in the Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology at the University of Pretoria and part-time consultant in the ENT department of the University of Stellenbosch. He is currently an associate Editor of Frontiers in Neuro-otology. Dr Hofmeyr performs vestibular testing and, if needed, offers extensive surgery to his patients.
About the sponsors
Interacoustics South Africa offers innovative and easy-to-use solutions that ease the lives of healthcare professionals, including audiologists, ENT surgeons, physiotherapists and neurologists. Supported by a global network of experts, their knowledge and experience set them apart from others in the hearing healthcare industry. Interacoustics’ technology and services translate complexity into clarity and help make invisible hearing and balance conditions tangible and treatable.
Interacoustics will yet again sponsor the MC. This year, thanks to the generous contribution by Interacoustics, the master classes will be free of charge! For total attendance, 6 CPD points will be on offer.
