(0902) A Comprehensive Review of Modern Medical Devices for the Vestibular Patient

Introduction: Medical devices aimed at helping patients alleviate vestibular symptoms have increased in quantity over recent decades, but a comprehensive review of their scientific rigor and market status has not been conducted. We sought to provide an informed overview of such devices to guide otolaryngologists in their practice and patients in their decision-making.

Methods: We searched for all devices advertised as or indicated for relieving vestibular symptoms between January 2000 and October 2023. Searches were conducted in English using PubMed, EMBASE, Ovid, Clinicaltrials.gov, and Google Advanced Search. Terms included "vestibular disorder," "dizziness," and "balance disorder" for population and "medical device" for intervention with all associated sub-terms. We excluded surgical instruments, purely diagnostic devices, and pharmaceuticals. Each device was noted for its description, stage of development, advertised use or indication, availability, cost, FDA status, and evidence of efficacy.

Results: A total of 20 devices met inclusion criteria. Of them, 2 have been discontinued, 6 are in pre-market development, and 11 are commercially available, with 6 specifically available in the US market. Among those in development, 2 will require prescription and 4 will require specialist administration. Among those commercially available, 5 are available over-the-counter, 1 requires prescription, and 5 require specialist administration. Of those commercially available, 9 (82%) have been the subject of publications in peer-reviewed journals. Specifically, 6 (55%) have been studied in randomized control trials (RCTs) with positive results and 4 (36%) are FDA-approved. Among the devices available over-the-counter, 3 (60%) have been studied in RCTs with positive results and 2 (40%) are FDA-approved.

Conclusions: Despite the growing number of medical devices marketed to vestibular patients, many lack robust evidence proving their effectiveness. Otolaryngologists and patients should be wary of products with insufficient scientific support but remain optimistic about those in development.