The impact of bilateral vestibulopathy on quality of life - data from the Antwerp University Hospital registry

Sep 5, 2026

Bilateral vestibulopathy (BVP) is a rare disorder that significantly impairs balance, spatial orientation, and gaze stability, affecting multiple aspects of daily functioning. A cross-sectional survey assessed its impact across employment, mobility, activities of daily living, health outcomes, and finances in a tertiary referral setting. Sixty-one patients completed a domain-focused questionnaire. Results showed substantial work limitations, high fall rates, frequent healthcare use after falls, and a measurable financial burden. The study concludes that BVP creates a significant disease burden and underscores the need for improved treatment and management.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages24

Reading Time1 h 0 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Objective

Study design

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This item is the archived peer-reviewed author-version of: The impact of bilateral vestibulopathy on quality of life : data from the Antwerp University Hospital registry Reference: Van Rompaey Vincent, Moyaert Julie, Van de Heyning Paul, Dobbels Bieke, Van de Berg Raymond, Guinand Nils, Perez-Fornos Angelica, Mertens Griet.-The impact of bilateral vestibulopathy on quality of life : data from the Antwerp University Hospital registry European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology / European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies; European Laryngological Society- ISSN 1434-4726-(2025)9 p. Full text (Publisher's DOI): [https://doi.org/10.1007/S00405-025-09369-X](https://doi.org/10.1007/S00405-025-09369-X) To cite this reference: [https://hdl.handle.net/10067/2136710151162165141](https://hdl.handle.net/10067/2136710151162165141) Institutional repository IRUA 1 Title: The impact of bilateral vestibulopathy on quality of life: data from the Antwerp 2 University Hospital registry 3 4 Keywords: Bilateral vestibulopathy, vestibular function, dizziness, disequilibrium, 5 questionnaire 6 7 Abstract 8 Objective: Bilateral vestibulopathy (BVP) is a rare condition which causes significant 9 impairments in balance, spatial orientation, and gaze stability. The goal of this study was to 10 assess the impact of BVP on several outcome domains related to daily life. 11 Study design: Cross-sectional survey. 12 Setting: Tertiary referral center for otology and neurotology. 13 Patients: Sixty-one patients treated for BVP at the XXXXXXXX Hospital. 14 Intervention: Questionnaire with items covering several outcome domains. 15 Main outcome measures: Impact of BVP on employment, mobility, activities of daily living, 16 health outcomes, and finances. 17 Results: A total of 61 patients with BVP completed the questionnaire. Of these, 47.5% were 18 retired, 26.2% were actively employed and 23% were unable to work due to their symptoms. 19 4.9% had to change work in the past, and 6.6% had to adjust their work situation. 8.1% had 20 been absent from work for more than four weeks in the last year. Of those who had driven in 21 the last year, 42.6% reported that their balance problems had affected their driving ability. 54.1% 22 reported having fallen as a result of their BVP symptoms and 39.4% of these required a visit to 23 their general practitioner or a hospital due to a fall. 14.8% reported that they had visited the 24 emergency room and 21.3% reported that they had been admitted to the hospital in the last year. 25 13.1% reported that they had borne extra financial costs in the last year due to their condition, 26 with a median burden of €1,000 . 27 Conclusions: BVP has a significant impact on daily life as measured across several domains. 28 These findings indicate that there is a significant disease burden associated with BVP. New 29 treatment or management modalities are needed to reduce this burden. 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 Introduction 38 Dysfunction of the vestibular system is characterized by the loss or significant reduction of the 39 function of the vestibular organs or their innervation such that it degrades the vestibulo-ocular 40 and/or vestibulospinal reflexes (Strupp, 2016; Casale. 2023) . The condition can be unilateral or 41 bilateral in nature, with the bilateral forms being generally more severe. In the literature, several 42 names have been used for the bilateral form, including "bilateral vestibular loss", "bilateral 43 vestibular hypofunction", "bilateral vestibular dysfunction", and "bilateral vestibular failure". 44 Since 2017, the Bárány Society for Vestibular Research has recommended to use the term 45 "bilateral vestibulopathy" (BVP) and has published diagnostic criteria (Strupp, 2017) . 46 BVP can lead to impairments in balance, spatial orientation, and gaze stability (Kremmyda, 47 2016; Lucieer, 2016; Strupp, 2017; Herssen

FAQs

What was the objective of the study on bilateral vestibulopathy (BVP)?

The study aimed to assess the impact of BVP on outcome domains related to daily life, including balance-related functioning and broader health effects.

How was the study conducted and who participated?

The research used a cross-sectional survey. Sixty-one patients treated for BVP at a tertiary referral center completed the questionnaire.

What were the main findings about daily life impact from BVP?

BVP was associated with significant consequences across employment and mobility, high rates of falls, frequent medical visits after falls, and notable financial burden, supporting a substantial disease burden.

Sep 5, 2026

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