Vestibular rehabilitation outcomes in chronic vertiginous patients through computerized dynamic visual acuity and Gaze stabilization test.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the efficiency of the rehabilitative protocols in patients with labyrinthine hypofunction, focusing on computerized dynamic visual acuity test (DVAt) and Gaze stabilization test (GST) specifically evaluating the vestibulo-oculomotor reflex (VOR) changes due to vestibular rehabilitation.


METHODS
Consecutive sample study.


METHODS
Day hospital in Ears, Nose, and Throat Rehabilitation Unit.


METHODS
Thirty-two patients with chronic dizziness with a mean age of 60.74 years.


METHODS
Patients performed one cycle of 12 daily rehabilitation sessions (2 h each) consisting of exercises aimed at improving VOR gain. The rehabilitation program included substitutional and/or habitudinal exercises, exercises on a stability platform, and exercises on a moving footpath with rehabilitative software.


METHODS
Dizziness Handicap Inventory and Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale. Computerized dynamic posturography, computerized DVAt, and GST.


RESULTS
The patients significantly improved in all the tests.


CONCLUSIONS
Vestibular rehabilitation improved the quality of life by reducing the handicap index and improving the ability in everyday tasks. The recovery of the vestibular-ocular reflex and vestibular-spinal reflex efficiency was objectively proven by instrumental testing. The DVAt and the GST allow to objectively quantify the fixation ability at higher frequencies and speeds (main VOR function). Moreover, these new parameters permit to completely evaluate vestibular rehabilitation outcomes, adding new information to the generally used tests that only assess vestibulospinal reflex.
Badaracco
Carlo
C
ENT Rehabilitation Unit, San Raffaele Pisana Scientific Institute Tosinvest Sanità, Via della Pisana, Rome, Italy.
Labini
Francesca Sylos
FS
Meli
Annalisa
A
De Angelis
Ezio
E
Tufarelli
Davide
D
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D004244:Dizziness / Q000628:therapy; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D005403:Fixation, Ocular / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007759:Labyrinth Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012027:Reflex, Vestibulo-Ocular / Q000502:physiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014717:Vertigo / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D014724:Vestibular Function Tests; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology*