title: Effects of vestibular rehabilitation combined with transcranial cerebellar direct current stimulation in patients with chronic dizziness: An exploratory study.
abstract: Vestibular rehabilitation is useful to alleviate chronic dizziness in patients with vestibular dysfunction. It aims to induce neuronal plasticity in the central nervous system (especially in the cerebellum) to promote vestibular compensation. Transcranial cerebellar direct current stimulation (tcDCS) reportedly enhances cerebellar function.
  
  
  
  We investigated whether vestibular rehabilitation partially combined with tcDCS is superior to the use of rehabilitation alone for the alleviation of dizziness.
  
  
  
  Patients with chronic dizziness due to vestibular dysfunction received rehabilitation concurrently with either 20-min tcDCS or sham stimulation for 5 days. Pre- and post-intervention (at 1 month) dizziness handicap inventory (DHI) scores and psychometric and motor parameters were compared.
  
  
  
  Sixteen patients completed the study. DHI scores in the tcDCS group showed significant improvement over those in the sham group (Mann-Whitney U test, p = 0.033).
  
  
  
  Vestibular rehabilitation partially combined with tcDCS appears to be a promising approach.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Kita14-jo, Nishi5-chome, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8648, Japan. Electronic address: kogane@huhp.hokudai.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Satoko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Koganemaru
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, National Tokyo Medical Center, 2-5-1, Higashigaoka, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 152-8902, Japan; Laboratory of Vestibular Disorders, National Institute of Sensory Organs, National Tokyo Medical Center, 2-5-1, Higashigaoka, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 152-8902, Japan.
authors.forename: Fumiyuki
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Goto
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, National Tokyo Medical Center, 2-5-1, Higashigaoka, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 152-8902, Japan; Laboratory of Vestibular Disorders, National Institute of Sensory Organs, National Tokyo Medical Center, 2-5-1, Higashigaoka, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 152-8902, Japan.
authors.forename: Miki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arai
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, National Tokyo Medical Center, 2-5-1, Higashigaoka, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 152-8902, Japan.
authors.forename: Keitaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Toshikuni
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, National Tokyo Medical Center, 2-5-1, Higashigaoka, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 152-8902, Japan; Laboratory of Vestibular Disorders, National Institute of Sensory Organs, National Tokyo Medical Center, 2-5-1, Higashigaoka, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 152-8902, Japan.
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hosoya
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, National Tokyo Medical Center, 2-5-1, Higashigaoka, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 152-8902, Japan.
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wakabayashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, National Tokyo Medical Center, 2-5-1, Higashigaoka, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 152-8902, Japan; Laboratory of Vestibular Disorders, National Institute of Sensory Organs, National Tokyo Medical Center, 2-5-1, Higashigaoka, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 152-8902, Japan.
authors.forename: Nobuko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, National Tokyo Medical Center, 2-5-1, Higashigaoka, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 152-8902, Japan; Laboratory of Vestibular Disorders, National Institute of Sensory Organs, National Tokyo Medical Center, 2-5-1, Higashigaoka, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 152-8902, Japan.
authors.forename: Shujiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Minami
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Kita14-jo, Nishi5-chome, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8648, Japan.
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ikeda
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Kita14-jo, Nishi5-chome, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8648, Japan.
authors.forename: Katsunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ikoma
authors.affiliation: The Graduate School of Core Ethics and Frontier Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, 56-1, Tojiin, Kitamachi, Kita-ku, Kyoto, 603-8577, Japan.
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mima
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000502:physiology; D004244:Dizziness / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity; D065908:Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D015837:Vestibular Diseases / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000628:therapy*; D014722:Vestibule, Labyrinth / Q000503:physiopathology
keywords: Chronic dizziness; Motor learning; Transcranial cerebellar direct current stimulation; Vestibular rehabilitation