Abstract
Objective
To compare a computer-assisted home exercise program with conservative home-training
following printed instructions in the rehabilitation of elderly patients with vestibular
dysfunction.
Design
Single-blind, randomized, controlled trial.
Setting
Geriatric department of a university hospital.
Participants
Patients with chronic dizziness due to vestibular dysfunction (N=63) were randomly
assigned to either rehabilitation in the clinic followed by computer-assisted home
exercises (intervention group: n=32) or rehabilitation in the clinic followed by home
exercises according to printed instructions (control group: n=31).
Interventions
Patients in the intervention group received assisted rehabilitation by a computer
program.
Main Outcome Measures
Measurements at baseline and at 8 and 16 weeks were compared. These included the One
Leg Stand Test, Dynamic Gait Index, Chair Stand Test, Motion Sensitivity Test, Short
Form-12, Dizziness Handicap Inventory, and visual analog scale.
Results
Both groups improved significantly during 16 weeks of rehabilitation. However, neither
t tests nor repeated-measures analysis of variance demonstrated any significant differences
between the 2 groups. The overall compliance rate to computer program exercises during
16 weeks was 57%.
Conclusions
A computer-assisted program to support the home training of elderly patients with
vestibular dysfunction did not improve rehabilitation more than did printed instructions.
Keywords
List of abbreviations:
Mitii (Move It To Improve It), VR (vestibular rehabilitation)To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: October 25, 2014
Footnotes
Supported by the Danish Health Foundation, Ejnar and Aase Danielsen Foundation, the Association of Danish Physiotherapists, the Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, and the Helene Elsass Center.
Clinical Trial Registration No.: NCT01344408.
Disclosures: none.
Identification
Copyright
© 2015 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
