Effectiveness of vestibular electrical stimulation combined with vestibular rehabilitation in chronic unilateral vestibular hypofunction: A randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness of vestibular electrical stimulation (VES) combined with vestibular rehabilitation (VR) in patients with chronic unilateral vestibular hypofunction (UVH). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty patients aged 18-65 years, diagnosed with UVH, were randomized into two groups. Participants underwent a 4-week intervention: the VR group received supervised VR, whereas the VR+VES group received VES in addition to supervised VR. The groups were evaluated before and after treatment, including the dizziness handicap inventory (DHI), visual analogue scale (VAS), Berg balance scale (BBS), timed up-and-go test (TUG), activity-specific balance and confidence scale (ABCs), Beck anxiety inventory (BAI), Beck depression inventory (BDI), and static posturography. RESULTS: Thirty-eight of 40 enrolled patients (95%) completed the study. Statistically significant improvements were observed in DHI, VAS, BBS, and ABCs scores in both groups after treatment (p<0.05). Additionally, the VR+VES group showed significant improvements in TUG, BAI, BDI, and right-sided limits of stability (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Supervised VR effectively improved dizziness severity, balance, and functional status in patients with chronic UVH. The addition of VES to supervised VR further enhanced postural stability, reduced the risk of falls, and alleviated symptoms of anxiety and depression.