Videonystagmography

What is a videonystagmography (VNG) test?

A videonystagmography (VNG) is a test to check your vestibular system. This system helps you maintain your balance and manage your movement and spatial orientation. Spatial orientation is how you keep track of where you are in relation to the things and people around you.

VNG looks for signs of nystagmus, a condition that causes your eyes to move uncontrollably. Your eyes may move up and down, side to side or in a combination of directions. Issues with your peripheral vestibular (inner ear balance) system may cause nystagmus. This system includes five organs within your inner ear. These organs sense information like your posture, position and movement that your body needs to maintain its balance.

An audiologist or other healthcare providers who specialize in hearing loss or balance issues may do this test. You may have this test if you have symptoms like:

• A sense that the world is spinning around you
• Dizziness
• Feeling lightheaded
• Pressure in your ears
• Ringing sound in your ears

You may have these symptoms if you have conditions like:

• Acoustic neuroma
• Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)
• Labyrinthitis
• Ménière’s disease
• Vestibular neuritis

How does the videonystagmography test work?

The test tracks how your eyes move. You wear special goggles that have a camera(s) recording your eye movements.

How do I prepare for a VNG test?

This is a safe and simple test that rarely causes side effects. But you may feel nauseated after the test. Your provider may recommend that you eat a light meal before the test to reduce the risk that you’ll feel nauseated.

The test activates part of your peripheral vestibular system. That activation can make you feel dizzy after the test, so you may want to arrange for someone to take you home.

What happens during a VNG?

You sit on an exam table or chair in a darkened exam room. The exam table reclines so you can lie back or sit up during the test. Your healthcare provider will place the goggles on your head. Then, they’ll guide you through the test. There are three parts:

1. Ocular testing: You keep your head still while you watch different dots or patterns on a TV screen.
2. Positional testing: Your provider will ask you to move your head or body in different directions. You may lie back or sit up during the test.
3. Caloric testing: They’ll send small bursts of warm or cold water or air into each ear to record nystagmus.

The test takes about an hour to complete.

What do my test results mean?

A VNG test tracks uncontrollable eye movement during the test. Your results will vary depending on the specific test. For example, experiencing nystagmus during the positioning test may mean you have BPPV. Your provider may call this a positive response.

Your provider will discuss your test results with you. They’ll also explain what the results may mean. A VNG test doesn’t diagnose the conditions that cause your symptoms. Your provider may need to do more tests to diagnose the condition responsible for your symptoms.

Can a VNG test diagnose multiple sclerosis?

No, VNG isn’t one of the tests that diagnose multiple sclerosis. Healthcare providers may do other tests like an MRI, an optical coherence tomography (OCT) test or an evoked potential (EP) test.