Electrovestibulography (EVestG), a new diagnostic technique, could lead to a simple, quick and inexpensive screening process for CNS diseases, according to its inventor, Monash University biomedical engineer Brian Lithgow.

The patient sits in a specially designed tilt chair that triggers electrical responses in their balance system. Patterns of electrical activity in the brain’s vestibular (balance) system are measured against distinct response patterns found in depression, schizophrenia and other Central Nervous System (CNS) disorders.