A New Sensitive Test Using Virtual Reality and Foam to Probe Postural Control in Vestibular Patients: The Unilateral...

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Otolaryngology

Background:

• Vestibular schwannomas (VS) can cause significant balance impairment.
• Current balance assessment tools like EquiTest are expensive, lack sensitivity for early detection, and have limitations in assessing balance across multiple planes.
• There is a need for more accessible and sensitive methods to quantify balance deficits in VS patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a novel, low-cost device for quantifying postural control in patients with vestibular schwannoma.
• To compare the performance of this new device with the established EquiTest system.
• To explore the utility of this method in guiding treatment and rehabilitation strategies for VS.

Main Methods:

• A customized device using a smartphone, VR mask (fixed/moving visual scenes), and foam rubber was employed.
• Patients underwent balance testing in four conditions: eyes open, eyes closed, fixed visual scene, and moving visual scene.
• Postural oscillations were measured using smartphone sensors; additional vestibular tests (caloric, vHIT, VEMPs) were performed.

Main Results:

• The novel VR/Foam device frequently detected falls and abnormal postural oscillations in VS patients.
• No correlation was found between balance deficits and horizontal canal function or patient age.
• The new method demonstrated potential for simpler, quicker, and cheaper balance quantification.

Conclusions:

• The developed smartphone-based system offers a practical and cost-effective solution for assessing balance deficits in vestibular schwannoma.
• This tool can aid in optimizing treatment indications and patient follow-up.
• It facilitates the development of targeted balance rehabilitation programs under challenging sensory conditions.