Plural Publishing, based in San Diego, Calif, recently released the second edition of the book Balance Function Assessment and Management, edited by Gary Jacobson, PhD, and Neil Shepard, PhD. The second edition includes 7 new chapters and continues to comprehensively address the assessment and treatment of balance system impairments through contributions from top experts in the areas of dizziness and vertigo. Designed for use in graduate audiology programs and by practicing audiologists, this is also intended to be a valuable text for those in the fields of physical therapy, otolaryngology, and neurology.

book_BalanceFunctioncover Assessment chapters focus on ocular motility testing, positional/positioning testing, caloric testing, rotational testing, computerized dynamic posturography, and vestibular evoked potentials. Treatment chapters examine non-medical, medical, and surgical treatments of dizziness and vertigo, vestibular rehabilitation, and assessment of and intervention for risk of falls. According to the publishers, this revised edition also provides background information on the vestibular and ocular motor systems with corresponding sample cases.

New topics addressed in this edition include:

  • Development of the vestibular system
  • Central compensation following peripheral vestibular system impairment
  • Video head impulse test (vHIT)
  • Biomechanics and physiology of balance
  • Electrocochleography (ECochG)
  • Pediatric vestibular system and balance assessment
  • Effects of age on the vestibular and balance systems

An added bonus to the second edition is the PluralPlus companion website that offers additional reference materials, such as video clips, associated with the text. The second edition is available for sale as a hardcover book on the Plural Publishing website. It has 904 pages, includes 378 illustrations, and retails for $165.

Source: Plural Publishing