Article

PURPOSE: To evaluate short-term effects of balance Vestibular Rehabilitation
Therapy (VRT) on balance, dizziness symptoms and quality of life of the elderly
with chronic Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV). METHOD: In this
randomized, single-blind and controlled trial, older adults with chronic BPPV
were randomized into two groups, the experimental group (n = 7, age: 69 (65-78)
years) and the control group (n = 7, age: 73 (65-76) years). Patients in the
experimental group underwent balance VRT (50 min per session, two times a week)
and Canalith Repositioning Maneuver (CRM) as required, for 13 weeks. The control
group was treated using only CRM as required. Standing and dynamic balance,
dizziness symptoms and quality of life were measured at the baseline, and at one,
five, nine and thirteen weeks. RESULTS: There were no between-group differences
in dizziness, quality of life and standing balance over the 13 weeks. Significant
differences were observed in dynamic balance measures between groups (p < 0.05
for most tests) through assessments. In intragroup analysis, both groups showed
improvements in all measurements except no improvement was found in majority of
the dynamic balance tests in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: The patients who
received additional balance VRT demonstrated better results in dynamic balance
than those who received only CRM. Implications for Rehabilitation The findings
that balance VRT in addition to CRM improves dynamic balance in elderly people
with BPPV should be useful in guiding rehabilitation professionals' clinical
decision making to design interventions for seniors suffering from BPPV;
Improvements in tests of dynamic balance suggest that the risk of adverse
consequences of BPPV in the elderly such as falls and fractures can be
potentially reduced through implementation of CRM in conjunction with balance
VRT; Lack of additional improvement in Visual Analogue Scale of dizziness and
Dizziness Handicap Index suggests that addition of balance VRT does not influence
dizziness symptomatology, per se, and CRM alone is effective to ameliorate
vertiginous symptoms and potentially improve quality of life.

Langue : ANGLAIS