The Balancing Act of Chronic Disease, Dizziness & Falls

Falls are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries for Americans, often leading to loss of independence and quality of life. One-third of older adults fall annually, creating a significant strain on the medical economic system of the United States and costing an estimated 34 billion dollars annually to cover the direct medical expenses and hospitalizations. This has led to a significant multidisciplinary interest in modifying risk factors for falling in the population of older adults. This presentation will provide an overview of those common age-based medical co-morbidities, both otologic and non-otologic which play a significant role and their interaction in falling among older adults. A review of neurodiagnostic tests which have high sensitivity, diagnostic efficiency, and predictive value in proper identification of high-risk individual will be presented. In addition, intervention strategies both with therapeutic protocols including vestibular rehabilitation and balance retraining strategies as well as life-style accommodations will be discussed. By the end of the session, attendees will be able to: 1. Describe the latest advances and technologies in the field of neuromodulation. They will comprehend the various neuromodulation techniques and their respective clinical applications. 2. Analyze the benefits and potential risks associated with different neuromodulation techniques. They will also gain the ability to dissect research findings and their impact on current clinical practices. 3. Evaluate the potential impact of these advancements on patient care and the overall field of neuromodulation. They will also have the knowledge to assess the future directions of neuromodulation research based on current trends and developments.