Effects of Wiifit vs Conventional Vestibular Rehabilitation on Dizziness and Balance in Patients With Unilateral Peripheral Vestibular Dysfunction

Unilateral Peripheral Vestibular Dysfunction (UPVD) is a common vestibular disorder resulting in symptoms such as dizziness, imbalance, vertigo, and postural instability.

These symptoms significantly affect patients' daily functioning and quality of life. Conventional Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy (cVRT), including gaze stabilization, balance training, and habituation exercises, has proven effective in reducing dizziness and improving balance.

However, newer approaches like virtual reality-based rehabilitation using WiiFit offer interactive, task-oriented, and engaging exercises that may enhance motivation and neuroplasticity, potentially leading to better outcomes.This study aims to compare the effectiveness of WiiFit-based vestibular training and conventional vestibular rehabilitation in improving balance and reducing dizziness in patients with UPVD.

The objective is to determine whether the addition of a virtual reality component can yield superior clinical outcomes compared to traditional therapy.

A randomized controlled trial will be conducted on participants diagnosed with UPVD selected through purposive sampling.

Participants aged 18-65 years, confirmed positive on the Head Thrust Test, experiencing persistent dizziness or imbalance for more than four weeks, able to walk independently, and scoring above 12 on the Vertigo Symptom Scale will be included.

Individuals with central vestibular disorders, active BPPV, severe visual or musculoskeletal impairments, seizure history, current participation in other vestibular rehabilitation programs, or severe cervical spine disease will be excluded.

Eligible participants will be randomly assigned into two equal groups using a computer-generated sequence.

Group A will receive conventional vestibular rehabilitation that includes exercises like foam surface standing, VORx1 and 2 training, tandem walking, side shuffles each for a session of 40 mins with a total of 3 sessions per week.

Group B will receive WiiFit-based vestibular rehabilitation exercises like ski salom, soccer heading, table tilt, penguin slide, obstacle course using the Nintendo WiiFit balance board for 4 weeks.

Outcome measures, including the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI), Mini-BESTest, and Vestibular Activities of Daily Living Scale (VADL), will be assessed pre- and post-intervention to evaluate changes in dizziness and functional balance.

Inclusion criteria

• Adults aged 18-65 years
• Diagnosed with UPVD (confirmed via Positive Head Thrust Test)
• Experiencing persistent dizziness or imbalance for >4 weeks after acute onset
• Able to stand and walk independently
• VSS total score >12

Exclusion criteria

• Central vestibular disorders (e.g., stroke, multiple sclerosis)
• Active BPPV (confirmed by Dix-Hallpike Test)
• Severe visual or MSK impairments affecting balance
• History of epileptic seizures or motion sickness triggered by video games
• Participation in other vestibular rehab programs during study period -- Diagnosed with severe cervical spine disease