Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
J Neuroeng Rehabil. 2012 Oct 9;9:77. doi: 10.1186/1743-0003-9-77.
Peripheral vestibular hypofunction is a major cause of dizziness. When complicated with postural imbalance, this condition can lead to an increased incidence of falls. In traditional clinical practice, gaze stabilization exercise is commonly used to rehabilitate patients. In this study, we established a computer-aided vestibular rehabilitation system by coupling infrared LEDs to an infrared receiver. This system enabled the subjects' head-turning actions to be quantified, and the training was performed using vestibular exercise combined with computer games and interactive video games that simulate daily life activities.
Three unilateral and one bilateral vestibular hypofunction patients volunteered to participate in this study. The participants received 30 minutes of computer-aided vestibular rehabilitation training 2 days per week for 6 weeks. Pre-training and post-training assessments were completed, and a follow-up assessment was completed 1 month after the end of the training period.
After 6 weeks of training, significant improvements in balance and dynamic visual acuity (DVA) were observed in the four participants. Self-reports of dizziness, anxiety and depressed mood all decreased significantly. Significant improvements in self-confidence and physical performance were also observed. The effectiveness of this training was maintained for at least 1 month after the end of the training period.
Real-time monitoring of training performance can be achieved using this rehabilitation platform. Patients demonstrated a reduction in dizziness symptoms after 6 weeks of training with this short-term interactive game approach. This treatment paradigm also improved the patients' balance function. This system could provide a convenient, safe and affordable treatment option for clinical practitioners.
外周前庭功能低下是头晕的主要原因。当与姿势平衡障碍同时发生时，这种情况会导致跌倒发生率增加。在传统的临床实践中，常采用凝视稳定性练习来对患者进行康复治疗。在本研究中，我们通过将红外发光二极管耦合到红外接收器，建立了一个计算机辅助前庭康复系统。该系统能够对受试者转头动作进行量化，并通过将前庭练习与模拟日常生活活动的计算机游戏和互动视频游戏相结合来进行训练。
3 名单侧和 1 名双侧前庭功能低下患者自愿参加本研究。参与者每周接受 2 天、每天 30 分钟的计算机辅助前庭康复训练，共 6 周。在训练前和训练后进行评估，并在训练结束后 1 个月进行随访评估。
经过 6 周的训练，4 名参与者的平衡和动态视敏度（DVA）均有显著改善。头晕、焦虑和抑郁情绪的自我报告均显著下降。自我信心和身体表现也有显著改善。训练结束后至少 1 个月，这种训练的效果仍然维持。
使用这个康复平台可以实时监测训练表现。经过 6 周的训练，患者的头晕症状有所减轻，这种短期的互动游戏方法有效。这种治疗方法还改善了患者的平衡功能。该系统可为临床医生提供一种方便、安全且经济实惠的治疗选择。
