Publication
Title
Chronic symptoms in patients with unilateral vestibular hypofunction : systematic review and meta-analysis
Author
Abstract
Objective: To systematically evaluate the full spectrum of self-reported chronic symptoms in patients with unilateral vestibular hypofunction (UVH) and to investigate the effect of interventions on these symptoms. Methods: A systematic review was conducted following the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Statement (PRISMA). A literature search was performed in Pubmed, Web of Science, Embase, and Scopus to investigate self-reported symptoms and self-report questionnaires in patients with UVH. All original studies ranging from full-text clinical trials to case reports, written in English, German, and French, were included. The frequency of self-reported symptoms was presented. For self-report questionnaires, a meta-analysis was carried out to synthesize scale means by the pre- and post-intervention means and mean changes for studies that investigated interventions. Results: A total of 2,110 studies were retrieved. Forty-seven studies were included after title-abstract selection and full-text selection by two independent reviewers. The symptoms of UVH patients included chronic dizziness (98%), imbalance (81%), symptoms worsened by head movements (75%), visually induced dizziness (61%), symptoms worsened in darkness (51%), and oscillopsia (22%). Additionally, UVH could be accompanied by recurrent vertigo (77%), tiredness (68%), cognitive symptoms (58%), and autonomic symptoms (46%). Regarding self-report questionnaires, UVH resulted on average in a moderate handicap, with an estimated mean total score on the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) and the Vertigo Symptom Scale (VSS) of 46.31 (95% CI: 41.17–51.44) and 15.50 (95% CI: 12.59–18.41), respectively. In studies that investigated the effect of vestibular intervention, a significant decrease in the estimated mean total DHI scores from 51.79 (95% CI: 46.61–56.97) (pre-intervention) to 27.39 (95% CI: 23.16–31.62) (post intervention) was found (p < 0.0001). In three studies, the estimated mean total Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores were 7.05 (95% CI, 5.64–8.46) (pre-intervention) and 2.56 (95% CI, 1.15–3.97) (post-intervention). Finally, a subgroup of patients (≥32%) persists with at least a moderate handicap, despite vestibular rehabilitation. Conclusion: A spectrum of symptoms is associated with UVH, of which chronic dizziness and imbalance are most frequently reported. However, semi-structured interviews should be conducted to define the whole spectrum of UVH symptoms more precisely, in order to establish a validated patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) for UVH patients. Furthermore, vestibular interventions can significantly decrease self-reported handicap, although this is insufficient for a subgroup of patients. It could therefore be considered for this subgroup of patients to explore new intervention strategies like vibrotactile feedback or the vestibular implant.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Frontiers in neurology / Frontiers Research Foundation (Lausanne, Switzerland) - Lausanne, 2010, currens
Publication
Lausanne : Frontiers Research Foundation , 2023
ISSN
1664-2295
DOI
10.3389/FNEUR.2023.1177314
Volume/pages
14 (2023) , p. 1-11
Article Reference
1177314
ISI
001033984200001
Pubmed ID
37483440
Medium
E-only publicatie
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (open access)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Project info
Unravelling risk factors for chronic dizziness in patients after an acute unilateral vestibular deafferentiation syndrome.
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier c:irua:197572
Creation 12.07.2023
Last edited 16.08.2024
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