A clinical research study to assess the effectiveness of alternative treatments for one of the most common causes of vertigo has begun at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.
Patients with Ménière's disease are being invited to participate in the study, which will compare whether injecting steroids into the middle ear is as effective as traditional gentamicin injections in the same region in controlling vertigo associated with the disease, but without the side effects of impaired hearing.
Study participants will not know which of the two drugs they are receiving and their response to the treatment will be monitored for two years.
During this period, patients will undergo a number of tests including assessment in a rotating electronic chair. The chair, which is the only one of its kind in the country, assesses the balance organs in the inner ear.
Participants for the study will be recruited from the Trust's neuro-otology service, which provides a 'one-stop shop' clinic where patients with dizziness and balance disorders are assessed, diagnosed and receive a treatment plan all in one day.
Adolfo Bronstein, Trust consultant neurologist and professor of clinical neuro-otology at Imperial College London, leads the service. He said: "Patients with dizziness and balance disorders are often passed around from one department to another, whereas we have neurologists, ear, nose and throat specialists, audiologists, physiotherapists and scientists all working together providing a unique service to these patients.
"Additionally, we frequently undertake clinical research like our latest study on Ménière's disease. This is a clear example of the academic health science centre (AHSC) in action, where research is undertaken in a clinical setting and seamlessly translated into improved treatments for patients."
The study is being part-funded by the Ménière's Society.
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