title: Comparison of different protocols for vestibular rehabilitation in patients with peripheral vestibular disorders.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the therapeutic efficacy of two protocols for vestibular rehabilitation in several vestibular disordes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty patients with chronic peripheral disorders of both genders (prevalence of females, with 60% of the sample) and mean age of 55 years and 9 months participated in this study. Group 1 carried out exercices based on stimulation of vertical and horizontal vestibulocular reflex, and Group 2 carried out exercices based on a protocol of personalized vestibular rehabilitation. Data analysis considered the complaint manifested during anamnesis and the clinical evolution of the patient during the execution of the exercises. The results obtained from the application of the Dizziness Handicap Inventory questionnaire (DHI) and the dizziness visual analog scale (VAS), both before and after vestibular rehabilitation, were also considered in the analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Differences were found in the values obtained in VAS and DHI (physical and functional scales and total score), in both groups. However, the comparison of the groups after rehabilitation showed that Group 2 obtained better scores than Group 1, both in VAS and DHI (functional scale and total value).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Vestibular rehabilitation allowed significant improvement in otoneurological clinical profile and in self-perception of dizziness, regardless the therapeutic method used. Personalized vestibular rehabilitation was more efficient than the vestibulocular reflex stimulation protocol in improving quality of life of individuals with chronic periferal disorders.
authors.affiliation: Ambulatório de Equilibriometria e Reabilitação Vestibular, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil. pamelagarcia83@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Pâmela Garcia
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Morozetti
authors.forename: Cristina Freitas
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Ganança
authors.forename: Brasília Maria
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Chiari
mesh_terms: D002985:Clinical Protocols; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015837:Vestibular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D014724:Vestibular Function Tests