Final answer:
The Dix-Hallpike maneuver is the test used to diagnose benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), which occurs when calcium carbonate crystals dislodge and stimulate hair cells in the semicircular canals.
Step-by-step explanation:
The test used to diagnose benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is the Dix-Hallpike maneuver. This is a diagnostic procedure where the patient is quickly moved from a sitting to a lying position, with the head turned to one side, to elicit a response from the hair cells in the semicircular canals of the inner ear. BPPV occurs when some of the calcium carbonate crystals in the utricle migrate into the semicircular canals.
This causes dizziness because the hair cells in the semicircular canals become stimulated by gravity, sending false signals of movement to the brain, and leading to a sensation of spinning or vertigo. In contrast, the Rinne test is used to distinguish between conductive and sensorineural hearing loss, which is not related to the diagnosis of BPPV.