Article

The aim of this study was to compare the effects of vestibular
rehabilitation protocols on balance control in elderly with dizziness. DESIGN:
This is a randomized clinical trial with 3-mo follow-up period.
The sample was
composed of 82 older individuals with chronic dizziness from vestibular
disorders. The control group was treated according to the Conventional Cawthorne
& Cooksey protocol (n = 40),
and the experimental group was submitted to a
Multimodal Cawthorne & Cooksey protocol (n = 42). Measures included Dynamic Gait
Index, fall history, hand grip strength, Time Up-and-Go Test, sit-to-stand test,
multidirectional reach, and static balance tests. RESULTS: With the exception of
history of falls, Forward Functional Reach, Unipedal Right and Left Leg Eyes
Closed, and Sensorial Romberg Eyes Open, all outcomes improved after treatments.
Such results persisted at follow-up period, with the exception of the Tandem Eyes
Open and the Timed Up-and-Go manual. The between-group differences for Sensorial
Romberg Eyes Closed (4.27 secs) and Unipedal Left Leg Eyes Open (4.08 secs) were
significant after treatment, favoring the Multimodal protocol. CONCLUSIONS: Both
protocols resulted in improvement on elderly's balance control, which was
maintained during a short-term period. The multimodal protocol presented better
performance on specific static balance tests.

Langue : ANGLAIS