Vestibular Rehabilitation and Dizziness in Geriatric Patients

US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

Status: Completed

Conditions: Dizziness

Treatments: Behavioral: Vestibular rehabilitation; Behavioral: Placebo

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other U.S. Federal agency

Identifiers

NCT00275392

C4168-P

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to develop effective exercise intervention to reduce dizziness and fall risk in older adults with non-specific dizziness. We hypothesize that the use of vestibular exercises can reduce dizziness and improve gaze and postural stability in older persons.

Full description

Community dwelling older individuals who present to a specialty dizziness clinic (Atlanta VAMC or Emory University) with a primary complaint of dizziness will be recruited to participate in this study. Before beginning the study, the presence of normal vestibular function will be measured directly using standard vestibular function tests. Individuals will be randomly assigned to the vestibular exercise group (VR) or to the control group (CON). Data will be collected prior to the initiation of physical therapy and at the completion of the 6-week intervention period.

The VR group will perform vestibular exercises plus balance and gait exercises. The CON group will perform saccadic eye movements without targets against a blank wall, as well as balance and gait exercises. The balance and gait exercises for each group will be based on identified impairments and functional limitations, as is the standard of care in physical therapy. All subjects within a group will follow the same exercise progression for the vestibular or eye movement exercises. Subjects will be seen in the clinic on a weekly basis to review and modify the exercises according to a standard protocol and to reinforce compliance.

Enrollment: 39 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 60+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Patients must be at least 60 years of age, seeking medical care due to dizziness and have normal vestibular function based on results of the clinical examination, rotary chair and/or caloric tests.

Exclusion criteria

Abnormal vestibular function based on results of clinical examination, rotary chair and/or caloric tests.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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39 participants in 2 patient groups, including a placebo group

Vestibular Rehabilitation

Experimental group

Description:

vestibular exercises plus standard balance and gait exercises

Treatment:

Behavioral: Vestibular rehabilitation

Placebo

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

placebo exercises plus standard balance and gait exercises

Treatment:

Behavioral: Placebo