machineMD has been granted an InnoCheque funding by Innosuisse for its collaboration with the FHNW University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland. The objective is to demonstrate in a feasibility study whether it is possible to develop a digital diagnostic test for Persistent Postural Perceptual Dizziness (PPPD) using a VR headset. 

Persistent Postural Perceptual Dizziness (PPPD) is the diagnostic term for a chronic functional vestibular syndrome associated with persistent non-vertiginous dizziness triggered/worsened by external stimuli (e.g. like screens, patterned floors, supermarket aisles). It is present in 15-20% of diagnosed patients with dizziness. PPPD diagnosis is currently based exclusively on patients’ subjective patient reporting of symptoms. Today, no objective clinically valid diagnostic test is available. 

machineMD and the FHNW University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland will attempt to show a way to implement an objective virtual reality (VR) clinical test for PPPD by assessing optokinetic nystagmus (OKN) and post-optokinetic nystagmus (OKAN). OKN is a reflexive response consisting of slow- and fast-phase eye movements induced by coherent motion of a large portion of the visual scene (e.g., looking out of a train window). When the visual stimulus is suddenly replaced by darkness, the eye movements persist for 40-60 seconds (OKAN) as their slow-phase velocity slowly decays to zero. OKN and OKAN are of clinical importance. They allow the assessment of reflexive eye movements and provide insight into the processing of self-motion information. A recent study by our research partner showed that prolonged OKAN is a sensitive and specific marker for the diagnosis of PPPD. 

Prof. Dr. Giovanni Bertolini from the FHNW University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland is a renowned expert in the visuo-vestibular field. He has studied PPPD for several years and is the main author of the study that inspired the idea. He has high expectations for the project: „A VR test for PPPD based on OKN/OKAN will be a clinically useful, objective, quantitative and easy-to-use solution that is independent of subjective reports.“ 

At machineMD, Samuel Schenk, co-founder and head of Innovation, is responsible for the project: "This study extends machineMD's innovation pipeline into VR-based measurement for other neurological disorders. "