Türk Kalkan Tuğba, Tarakçi Devrim, Kiliç Gamze, Çelikyurt Cengiz
Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Institute of Health Sciences, Istanbul Medipol University, 34810 Istanbul, Turkey.
Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health Sciences, Trakya University, 22180 Edirne, Turkey.
Medicina (Kaunas). 2025 May 9;61(5):872. doi: 10.3390/medicina61050872.
: Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is a frequently used neuromodulation method in recent years. While the mechanism of improvement in diseases such as epilepsy, dementia, and depression is being studied, its potential effect on vestibular dysfunction is also being investigated. The aim of our study was to investigate the effect of transcutaneous auricular VNS (taVNS) on the vestibular symptoms of unilateral vestibular hypofunction (UVH). : Forty patients diagnosed with UVH were randomly divided into two groups. Group 1 received vestibular rehabilitation. Group 2 received taVNS and vestibular rehabilitation. Both groups received treatment one day a week for eight weeks. Before and after the treatment, balance of the participants was assessed with modified-CTSIB (m-CTSIB), limit of stability (LOS), Tandem and One-Leg Stance (OLS) tests; visual acuity was assessed with dynamic visual acuity (DVA), dizziness severity, and fatigue severity with a visual analog scale (VAS); kinesiophobia was assessed with the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK); depression and anxiety was assessed with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS); and quality of life was assessed with the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI). : At the end of eight weeks, patients in Group 2 showed significantly greater improvement in balance, dizziness, fatigue, kinesiophobia, anxiety, and depression. There was no significant difference in visual acuity and quality of life between the groups. : The positive effects of taVNS on vestibular symptoms have been observed. As a new approach, taVNS can be included in the treatment of patients with UVH in addition to vestibular rehabilitation.
迷走神经刺激（VNS）是近年来常用的一种神经调节方法。在研究其对癫痫、痴呆和抑郁症等疾病的改善机制时，也在探讨其对前庭功能障碍的潜在影响。我们研究的目的是调查经皮耳迷走神经刺激（taVNS）对单侧前庭功能减退（UVH）患者前庭症状的影响。40例被诊断为UVH的患者被随机分为两组。第1组接受前庭康复治疗。第2组接受taVNS和前庭康复治疗。两组均每周治疗1天，共8周。治疗前后，采用改良临床测试感觉整合量表（m-CTSIB）、稳定极限（LOS）、串联和单腿站立（OLS）测试评估参与者的平衡能力；采用动态视力（DVA）评估视力，采用视觉模拟量表（VAS）评估头晕严重程度和疲劳严重程度；采用坦帕运动恐惧量表（TSK）评估运动恐惧；采用医院焦虑抑郁量表（HADS）评估抑郁和焦虑；采用头晕残障量表（DHI）评估生活质量。8周结束时，第2组患者在平衡、头晕、疲劳、运动恐惧、焦虑和抑郁方面的改善明显更大。两组之间在视力和生活质量方面没有显著差异。已观察到taVNS对前庭症状有积极作用。作为一种新方法，除前庭康复外，taVNS可纳入UVH患者的治疗中。
