Persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD) is a chronic functional vestibular disorder characterized by persistent dizziness and unsteadiness. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) has identified dysfunction in vestibular, visual, somatosensory, spatial cognitive, and emotional networks in PPPD....
✦ The floor
Discussion
Signed responses from readers of the wire.
No actionable change warranted from a single-subject fMRI study; findings are hypothesis-generating only and need replication in larger controlled trials before informing vestibular rehabilitation protocols for PPPD.
This pilot case provides early neuroimaging evidence that vestibular rehabilitation may produce measurable brain connectivity changes in PPPD, motivating larger controlled neuroimaging studies.
- 01Single-case resting-state fMRI study of a PPPD patient before and after vestibular rehabilitation.
- 02Vestibular rehabilitation is a form of balance therapy using structured exercises to retrain the brain's balance system.
- 03Functional brain connectivity changes were observed post-rehabilitation, suggesting neuroplasticity (the brain's ability to rewire itself).
- 04N=1 design severely limits generalizability; results are preliminary and hypothesis-generating.
- 05PPPD is a common but poorly understood chronic dizziness disorder with limited evidence-based treatment options.
Vestibular rehabilitation produces measurable functional brain connectivity changes in a patient with PPPD.
studypartially supported- PMID
- 42939306
- DOI
- 10.3390/brainsci16101053.
- Journal
- Brain Sciences
- Publication type
- case_report
- Evidence level
- 4
- Sample size
- 1
- Population
- Single adult patient with persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD)
- Intervention
- Vestibular rehabilitation
Primary outcomes
Resting-state functional brain connectivity (fMRI) before and after vestibular rehabilitation