title: Vestibular rehabilitation outcomes in the elderly with chronic vestibular dysfunction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic vestibular dysfunction is a frustrating problem in the elderly and can have a tremendous impact on their life, but only a few studies are available. Vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT) is an important therapeutic option for the neuro-otologist in treating patients with significant balance deficits.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of vestibular rehabilitation on dizziness in elderly patients with chronic vestibular dysfunction.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 33 patients older than 60 years with chronic vestibular dysfunction were studied. Clinical and objective vestibular tests including videonystagmography (VNG) and dizziness handicap inventory (DHI) were carried out at their first visit, 2 weeks, and 8 weeks post-VRT. The VRT exercises were performed according to Cawthorne and Cooksey protocols.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Oculomotor assessments were within normal limits in all patients. Nineteen patients (57.57%) showed abnormal canal paralysis on caloric testing which at follow-up sessions; CP values were decreased remarkably after VRT exercises. We found a significant improvement between pre-VRT and post-VRT total DHI scores (P < 0.001). This improvement was most prominent in functional subscore.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study demonstrated that VRT is an effective therapeutic method for elderly patients with chronic vestibular dysfunction.
authors: Department of Audiology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Arash
authors: A
authors: Bayat
authors: Akram
authors: A
authors: Pourbakht
authors: Nader
authors: N
authors: Saki
authors: Zuraida
authors: Z
authors: Zainun
authors: Soheila
authors: S
authors: Nikakhlagh
authors: Golshan
authors: G
authors: Mirmomeni
keywords: Chronic Vestibular Dysfunction; Dizziness; Handicap Inventory; Vestibular Rehabilitation
references: J Vestib Res. 2011;21(5):289-95
references: 22101299
references: J Neurol Phys Ther. 2010 Jun;34(2):87-93
references: 20588094
references: Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1990 Apr;116(4):424-7
references: 2317323
references: BMC Ear Nose Throat Disord. 2012 Mar 26;12:3
references: 22449224
references: Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2003 Jan;128(1):60-70
references: 12574761
references: J Anxiety Disord. 2001 Jan-Apr;15(1-2):107-19
references: 11388354
references: Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2012 Nov;269(11):2309-16
references: 22526580
references: Braz J Otorhinolaryngol. 2012 Apr;78(2):87-95
references: 22499375
references: Braz J Otorhinolaryngol. 2007 May-Jun;73(3):295-8
references: 17684648
references: Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2011 Jul;145(1):117-24
references: 21493331
references: Arch Intern Med. 2009 May 25;169(10):938-44
references: 19468085
references: Acta Otolaryngol. 2005 Jan;125(1):55-9
references: 15799575
references: Otolaryngol Clin North Am. 2009 Feb;42(1):161-9, xi
references: 19134498
references: Am J Otolaryngol. 2009 Sep-Oct;30(5):295-9
references: 19720245
references: Curr Opin Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2010 Oct;18(5):386-91
references: 20613528
references: Pro Fono. 2010 Oct-Dec;22(4):427-32
references: 21271094
references: Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 2005 Jan;114(1 Pt 1):48-54
references: 15697162
references: Braz J Otorhinolaryngol. 2011 Jun;77(3):356-61
references: 21739011
references: Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2011 Nov;268(11):1569-74
references: 21340557
references: Braz J Otorhinolaryngol. 2011 Nov-Dec;77(6):791-8
references: 22183287
references: Otolaryngol Clin North Am. 2011 Apr;44(2):437-54, x
references: 21474016
references: Acta Otolaryngol. 2003 Jan;123(2):143-7
references: 12701729