Comparison of the effectiveness of vestibular rehabilitation on disability and balance in patients with chronic unilateral and bilateral vestibular hypofunction - Article outcomes

Sep 5, 2026

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This retrospective study evaluated supervised vestibular rehabilitation by comparing chronic unilateral vestibular hypofunction (UVH) and bilateral vestibular hypofunction (BVH) patients. Participants aged 18–65 underwent a structured 4-week program, while exclusions addressed confounders such as central nervous system disorders, visual and psychiatric dysfunctions, fluctuating vestibular conditions, and neck-related dizziness. Primary outcomes were Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) for disability and Berg Balance Scale (BBS) for balance-fall risk before and after therapy. Both groups improved in DHI and BBS, with no significant between-group differences in change.

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DOI: 10.4274/gulhane.galenos.2024.79026 Gulhane Med J 2025;67(1):28-32 Comparison of the effectiveness of vestibular rehabilitation on disability and balance in patients with chronic unilateral and bilateral vestibular hypofunction Ömer Kuzu1, Bilal Burak Bayraklı1, Canan Çelik2, Berke Aras2 1Ankara Bilkent City Hospital, Clinic of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Ankara, Türkiye 2 University of Health Sciences, Ankara Bilkent City Hospital, Clinic of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Ankara, Türkiye Cite this article as: Kuzu Ö, Bayraklı BB, Çelik C, Aras B. Comparison of the effectiveness of vestibular rehabilitation on disability and balance in patients with chronic unilateral and bilateral vestibular hypofunction. Gulhane Med J. 2025;67(1):28-32 . Date submitted: 20.09.2024 Date accepted: 22.11.2024 Epub: 23.01.2025 Publication Date: 20.02.2025 Corresponding Author: Ömer Kuzu, M. D. , Ankara Bilkent City Hospital, Clinic of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Ankara, Türkiye [kuzu_omer@hotmail.com](kuzu_omer@hotmail.com) ORCID: [orcid.org/0000-0001-8173-3449](orcid.org/0000-0001-8173-3449) Keywords: Chronic vestibular hypofunction, rehabilitation, disability, balance ABSTRACT Aims: This study evaluated the effectiveness of supervised vestibular rehabilitation on disability and balance by comparing patients with chronic unilateral vestibular hypofunction (UVH) and bilateral vestibular hypofunction (BVH) . Methods: This retrospective study included patients aged 18-65 years diagnosed with chronic vestibular hypofunction and underwent a supervised vestibular rehabilitation program. We excluded patients with a history of central nervous system disease, central vestibular pathology, systemic disease, and neck disorders that may cause dizziness and balance disorders, psychiatric disease, cognitive disorder, visual dysfunction, and vestibular disorder with a fluctuating course. The outcome measures were the differences between the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) for disability and the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) for balance-fall risk scores before and after the rehabilitation program inpatients with UVH vs. BVH. Results: The study included 24 UVH [age, mean±standard deviation (SD): 50.0±12 .3 years, women: 75%] and 14 BVH patients (age, mean±SD age: 53.8±12 .1 years, women: 64.3%) . Baseline demographic characteristics, DHI and BBS scores were similar in the two groups. We observed improvements in DHI (UVH: 67.25±10 .43 vs. 51.50±17 .03, p˂0 .05; BVH: 63.00±21 .12 vs. 44.57±22 .90, p˂0 .05) and BBS [UVH: 49 (43 .0-51.75) vs. 50.5 (44 .75-52.75), p˂0 .05; BVH: 42.07±9 .35 vs. 47.86±6 .65, p˂0 .05] scores in the two groups after the rehabilitation program. On the other hand, there were no between-group differences in the changes in DHI (UVH: -15.75±13 .28 vs. BVH: -18.43±15 .79, p>0 .05) and BBS [UVH: 2 (0-5) vs. BVH: 4 (1 .0-9.25), p>0 .05] scores. Conclusions: This study found that a supervised 4-week vestibular rehabilitation program was similarly effective in chronic UVH and BVH in disability and balance improvement. Introduction Vestibular hypofunction is characterized by impaired vestibular functions due to partial or complete involvement of the peripheral or, rarely, the central vestibular system (1,2) . Patients with vestibular hypofunction complain of symptoms such as dizziness, visual and gaze disorders, balance disorders, unsteadiness during walking and standing, and oscillopsia, depending on the type of involvement (unilateral or bilateral) (3,4) . Chronic vestibular asymmetry manifests with symptoms and findings such as head movement-induced symptoms, gait instability, oscillopsia, spatial disorientation, and impaired navigation in patients with unilateral vestibular hypofunction (UVH) (1) . In contrast, imbalance and oscillopsia with head movement are among the most common symptoms in patients with chronic bilateral vestibular hypofunction (BVH) Copy

FAQs

What is the main objective of the study?

To compare the effectiveness of supervised vestibular rehabilitation on disability and balance in patients with chronic unilateral versus bilateral vestibular hypofunction.

How were disability and balance measured?

Disability was assessed with the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI), and balance and fall risk were assessed with the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) before and after rehabilitation.

What were the key outcomes after the 4-week rehabilitation program?

DHI and BBS scores improved after rehabilitation in both UVH and BVH groups, and there were no significant between-group differences in the magnitude of change.

Sep 5, 2026

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