The Dix-Hallpike maneuver is designed to elicit vertigo and nystagmus by moving the head into positions that involve neck flexion or extension.

The Dix-Hallpike maneuver is designed to elicit vertigo and nystagmus by moving the head into positions that involve neck flexion or extension.

• A. Involves caloric irrigation of the ear
• B. Move the head into positions with neck flexion/extension to provoke vertigo
• C. Measures auditory thresholds
• D. Assesses balance with eyes open

Answer: (B)

The Dix-Hallpike maneuver is a positional test used to diagnose benign paroxysmal positional vertigo by placing the head in positions that align gravity with the posterior semicircular canal, typically involving neck extension and head rotation. This alignment causes the displaced otoconia to move within the canal when the person is moved from sitting to a supine position, provokes vertigo, and elicits a characteristic nystagmus that confirms BPPV. The other options describe different vestibular or auditory assessments: caloric irrigation uses temperature differences to stimulate the inner ear and test vestibular function in a broader sense, measuring auditory thresholds relates to hearing tests, and balancing with eyes open is a general balance assessment not specific to provoking BPPV.

The Dix-Hallpike maneuver is a positional test used to diagnose benign paroxysmal positional vertigo by placing the head in positions that align gravity with the posterior semicircular canal, typically involving neck extension and head rotation. This alignment causes the displaced otoconia to move within the canal when the person is moved from sitting to a supine position, provokes vertigo, and elicits a characteristic nystagmus that confirms BPPV. The other options describe different vestibular or auditory assessments: caloric irrigation uses temperature differences to stimulate the inner ear and test vestibular function in a broader sense, measuring auditory thresholds relates to hearing tests, and balancing with eyes open is a general balance assessment not specific to provoking BPPV.