Vestibular Habituation Training: Exercise Treatment for Vertigo Based upon the Habituation Effect

Abstract

Vestibular habituation training is an exercise treatment for postional vertigo based on the assumption that such a type of vertigo can be cured by habituation effect. The latter is produced by repeating the situation eliciting vertigo. In this way the mechanisms of adaptation and compensation ore stimulated, processes of which have been considered “error controlled.” Clinical experience with the vestibular habituation training test battery (consisting of 19 maneuvers) showed that in each particular patient only a limited number of responses were positive in various combinations. Selecting the exercises is then a logical consequence. Followup showed a progressive reduction of the positive cases, as well as the number of positive maneuvers. This is in accordance with the development of compensation as it has been observed in experimental conditions and with the decline of progressive responses observed in habituation experiments.