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Published on: August 30, 2019
Audio-biofeedback improves balance in patients with bilateral vestibular loss
Marco Dozza1, Lorenzo Chiari, Fay B Horak
1Department of Electronics, Computer Science and Systems, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
Objective:
To evaluate the effectiveness of an audio-biofeedback (ABF) system for improving balance in patients with bilateral vestibular loss (BVL).
Design:
Before-after trial.
Setting:
University balance disorders laboratory.
Participants:
Nine subjects with BVL and 9 unaffected subjects as controls.
Intervention:
Trunk acceleration ABF while standing on foam with eyes closed.
Main Outcome Measure:
Balance stability was evaluated according to the following parameters: the root mean square of (1) the center of pressure (COP) displacements and of (2) the trunk accelerations; the COP bandwidth; the time spent by the participant within +/-1 degrees threshold from their baseline COP position; and the mean accelerations of the trunk while the participant was swaying outside this +/-1 degrees threshold.
Results:
Participants with BVL had significantly larger postural sway than did unaffected participants. Those with BVL, while using ABF, decreased sway area by 23%+/-4.9%, decreased trunk accelerations by 46%+/-9.9%, and increased time spent within +/-1 degrees sway threshold by 195%+/-34.6%.
Conclusions:
ABF improved stance stability of participants with BVL by increasing the amount of postural corrections.
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