Three-dimensional exergaming conjunction with vestibular rehabilitation in individuals with Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo: A feasibility randomized controlled study.

BACKGROUND: To examine the effectiveness of 3D (dimensional)-vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT) on gait, balance problems, processing time speed and subjective complaints in patients with Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) compared to a control group (CG). This study aimed to test the feasibility of virtual reality-based 3D exergaming conjunction with vestibular rehabilitation. METHODS: Twenty-two patients with BPPV (negative DixHallpike/Roll test results, existing dizziness/balance complaints) were randomly allocated to the study group (SG, n:11 3D-VRT) or Control group (CG n:11, no exercise-rehabilitation) for 8 week. The SG performed 3D-VRT for 45 to 50 min/d, 3 times/wk, and the CG did receive only Canalith Repositioning Maneuver (CRM). CRM was applied in both groups before the study. Outcome measures included 10-Meter-Walk-Test (10-MWT) (with/without head turns), Dynamic Gait Index (DGI), Choice-Stepping-Reaction-Time-ped (CSRT-MAT), Fullerton Advanced Balance Scale (FAB), and Visual Analog Scale (VAS). RESULTS: The SG showed significantly improvement in 10-MWT without (p5 = 0.00,η2 = 0.49), with horizontal (p5 = 0.00,η2 = 0.57),vertical (p5 = 0.01,η2 = 0.48) head turns, DGI (p5 = 0.00,η2 = 0.74), CSRT-MAT, FAB (p5 = 0.00,η2 = 0.78) and VAS-dizziness (p5 = 0.00,η2 = 0.65), VAS-balance problem (p5 = 0.00,η2 = 0.43), VAS-fear of falling (p5 = 0.00,η2 = 0.42) compared to the CG. CONCLUSION: The 3D-VRT were effective in improving gait, balance, processing speed and resolving the subjective complaints in BPPV. The 3D-VRT method is feasible for patients who suffer from residual dizziness or balance complaints after CRM. Furthermore, the 3D-VRT is more accessible and less expensive than other virtual reality applications, which may facilitate further research or clinical use.

The comparison of clinical and computerized measurement of sitting balance in stroke patients and healthy individuals.

BACKGROUND: Balance problems are common after stroke. OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study was to compare the results of computerized and clinical sitting balance measurements in stroke patients and healthy individuals and to identify the agreement and relationship between the two measurement methods in stroke patients. METHODS: This study included 30 chronic stroke patients and 30 age-matched healthy individuals. A force platform chair was used for the computerized and the Function in Sitting Test (FIST) was used for the clinical sitting balance measurement. RESULTS: The sitting balance of the stroke patients, measured with computerized and clinical measurements, were still affected in the chronic phase. The CoP deviation (eyes-open and eyes-closed) was higher whereas the FIST score was lower in the stroke group than the healthy group (p < 0.05). The computerized sitting balance measurements [eyes-open (r = -0.177, p = 0.349) and eyes-closed (r = -0.294, p = 0.114)] CoP deviation was not correlated with the FIST scores (p < 0.05). However, there was an excellent agreement (96.6%) between the methods. CONCLUSION: The results of this study implies that both the computerized and clinical sitting balance measurements can be used objectively for the assessment of sitting balance but the computerized methods might be preferable due to requiring shorter time with less intra-tester variability.