Impact of vestibular rehabilitation therapy on quality of life and cognitive function in individuals with chronic dizziness or vertigo

Summary & key facts

This randomized controlled trial with 60 adults who had chronic dizziness or vertigo found that adding vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT) to standard medication (betahistine) led to better thinking-test results and larger drops in dizziness-related disability than medication alone. Tests that improved more with VRT included digit span and a task-switching test, and brain-recording measures (P300) showed shorter response time and bigger signal size. Both groups had better Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) scores after treatment, but the VRT + medication group improved more. The study excluded people with clear cognitive disorders and some other medical conditions, and the authors did no

Key facts:

• The study was a randomized controlled trial with 60 participants who had chronic dizziness or vertigo.
• Participants were randomly assigned to two groups: medication-only (betahistine) or VRT + medication (betahistine plus customized vestibular rehabilitation therapy).
• Cognitive performance improved in the VRT + medication group on the digit span test and a task-switching test, as reported by the authors.
• P300 brain responses in the VRT + medication group showed reduced latency (faster response) and increased amplitude (larger signal) after treatment, according to the study results.
• The medication-only group did not show significant changes in the cognitive measures the study used.
• Both groups showed improved quality of life as measured by the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI), with a greater reduction in DHI scores in the VRT + medication group.
• The trial used unstratified block randomization (21 permutations, 4 blocks) with allocation concealment and blinding, and it was registered in the Clinical Trial Registry of India (CTRI/2020/03/023934).
• The study excluded people with overt cognitive deficits (screened by MMSE) and several medical or neurological conditions, so the findings apply to a selected group of patients similar to those included in the trial.

Topics

Glaucoma and retinal disorders Ocular Surface and Contact Lens Vestibular and auditory disorders

Categories

Life Sciences Neurology Neuroscience

Tags

Audiology Betahistine Cognition Cognitive rehabilitation therapy Internal medicine Medicine Memory span Nursing Physical medicine and rehabilitation Physical therapy Psychiatry Quality of life (healthcare) Randomized controlled trial Rehabilitation Surgery Vertigo Working memory