Vestibular rehabilitation is an essential part of managing balance disorders, but traditional exercises can often be repetitive and demotivating for patients. This can reduce adherence and limit treatment outcomes. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the feasibility, usability, patient satisfaction, and safety of DizzyVR, an immersive virtual reality system designed to support vestibular rehabilitation....
✦ The floor
Discussion
Signed responses from readers of the wire.
This feasibility study does not yet provide sufficient evidence to adopt VR-based vestibular rehabilitation in routine practice, but results may support designing a larger controlled trial.
If immersive VR can improve patient engagement with vestibular rehabilitation, it could address a well-known adherence problem with conventional home exercise programs, potentially improving outcomes at scale.
- 01A new immersive VR system was designed specifically for vestibular disorder rehabilitation.
- 02Feasibility study tested system validation, safety, and patient engagement — not clinical efficacy.
- 03VR aims to replace repetitive conventional exercises with more engaging virtual environments.
- 04Published in PLoS One; peer-reviewed but early-stage evidence.
- 05Larger RCTs would be needed before clinical adoption can be recommended.
Immersive VR rehabilitation improves engagement compared to traditional repetitive vestibular exercises.
studypartially supportedThe VR system is feasible and valid for use in patients with vestibular disorders.
studypartially supported- PMID
- 42531289
- DOI
- 10.1371/journal.pone.0354872.
- Journal
- PLOS ONE
- Publication type
- research_article
- Evidence level
- 4
- Population
- Individuals with vestibular disorders
- Intervention
- Immersive virtual reality rehabilitation system
- Comparator
- Traditional repetitive vestibular rehabilitation exercises
Primary outcomes
Feasibility and validation of the VR system; Patient engagement with VR-based vestibular rehabilitation