The CN-NINM intervention is an experimental regimen. It has been developed over the last 12 years at Tactile Communication and Neurorehabilitation Laboratory (TCNL) at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. All human subjects testing was performed under IRB approval. The PoNS™ is an experimental device that has been evolved over this same period at TCNL, and is not FDA approved. An Investigator's Brochure and attendant Safety Chart have been developed to satisfy requirements for an Investigational Device Exemption, and provide additional context with respect to the research proposed here.
The goal of this work is to test the effectiveness of this device with standard rehabilitation therapy on individuals who have operationally induced balance disorders from blunt or blast head trauma.
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES:
1. To compare the effectiveness of active PoNS-2 (PoNS™) device combined with standard vestibular rehabilitation to a placebo PoNS™ device with vestibular rehabilitation in patients with blast and blunt head trauma induced dizziness over the time period of a standard course of therapy.
2. To compare the effectiveness of active PoNS™ device combined with standard vestibular rehabilitation to a placebo PoNS™ device with vestibular rehabilitation in patients with blast and blunt head trauma induced dizziness three months after a standard course of rehabilitation.
