Comparison of efficacy of vestibular rehabilitation and noisy galvanic vestibular stimulation to improve dizziness and balance in patients with multiple sclerosis

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Dizziness and imbalance are common symptoms in patients with multiple sclerosis (PwMS), and rehabilitation interventions varying greatly in effectiveness. OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness of vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT) and noisy galvanic vestibular stimulation (nGVS) on dizziness and balance in PwMS. METHODS: This was a single-blind, randomized controlled trial. Twenty-four PwMS were randomly divided into groups of VRT, nGVS, and Control. The VRT and the nGVS groups underwent the intervention program. The patients were assessed with the composite score in anteroposterior and lateral directions (CS AP and LAT) obtained by sensory organization test (SOT), Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI), and Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC). RESULTS: The VRT group showed greater improvements in CS AP and LAT, DHI total score, and ABC total score compared with the nGVS group and the control group. No significant difference was found between the nGVS group and the control group. These results were approximately stable at the 4-week follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provided evidence for effectiveness of the VRT in improvement of dizziness and balance in PwMS. These improvements were not associated with the nGVS. Further studies are needed to assess the effectiveness of the nGVS on dizziness and balance in PwMS.