n. a test used for detecting diseases related to the function of the semi-circular canals in the inner ear. Devised by Austrian physician Robert Barany (1876-1936), the subject is made to spin in a special swiveling chair (Barany chair). The head is oriented on a plane in which the three canals are vertical to the actual direction of rotation. This results in an involuntary eye movement known as nystagmus. Also called Barany method.
BARANY TEST: “An important part of pilot training, the Barany Test demonstrates how you can feel disoriented while spinning through space.”