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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Neurol.
Sec. Neuro-Otology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fneur.2025.1524324
This article is part of the Research Topic Mechanisms of Functional Dizziness: A Window for Understanding Space-Motion Cognition View all articles

Evaluating the Efficacy of Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy on Quality of Life in Persistent Postural-Perceptual Dizziness: The Role of Anxiety and Depression in Treatment Outcomes

Provisionally accepted
Khalid A. Alahmari Khalid A. Alahmari 1*Sarah Alshehri Sarah Alshehri 2
  • 1 Program of Physical Therapy, Medical Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, Abha 61423, Saudi Arabia, Abha, Saudi Arabia
  • 2 Otology and Neurotology, Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, 61423 Abha, Saudi Arabia, Abha, Saudi Arabia

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Persistent Postural-Perceptual Dizziness (PPPD) is a chronic disorder that significantly affects the quality of life (QoL) and daily living. Vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT) has emerged as a promising treatment option, yet its effectiveness, particularly in relation to symptom duration, anxiety, and depression, remains underexplored. Methods: This cross-sectional study assessed the effect of VRT on the QoL in 188 PPPD patients, as well as the correlation between the duration of symptoms and dizziness severity and the role of anxiety and depression in the treatment response. QoL was assessed using the EuroQol-5 Dimension (EQ-5D), and dizziness-related handicap using the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) and anxiety and depression using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Results: 93 patients were included in the analysis. QoL was significantly improved post-VRT with a greater mean EQ-5D score (EQ-5D post-VRT 0.72; EQ-5D pre-VRT 0.61, p = 0.032). Age was also found to correlate with increased dizziness severity (p < 0.001), although this was not as strong as the correlation of symptom duration (longer duration correlating with increased dizziness severity; p < 0.01), anxiety (r = -0.45, p = 0.002) and depression (r = -0.51, p < 0.001) (both significantly associated with poorer outcomes especially with reference to VRT) emerging as independent correlates of reduced effectiveness of treatment. Conclusions: This study revealed the benefit of VRT in patients with PPPD on QoL and indicates the importance of identifying and treating psychological factors to improve the success of treatment for PPPD.

    Keywords: Dizziness, Vestibular rehabilitation therapy, Quality of Life, Anxiety, Depression

    Received: 07 Nov 2024; Accepted: 16 Jan 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 A. Alahmari and Alshehri. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Khalid A. Alahmari, Program of Physical Therapy, Medical Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, Abha 61423, Saudi Arabia, Abha, Saudi Arabia

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