Basta 2011.
| Methods | Design: randomised controlled trial | |
| Participants |
Number: 155; only data from 68 participants were included in meta‐analysis Age: intervention group mean age 60.6 (SD 13.3), comparator group mean age 61.3 (SD 9.2) Gender: intervention group 57.2% male, comparator group 57.1% male Setting: participants were recruited from neuro‐otologic or neurologic clinics Eligibility criteria: experienced balance disorder for more than 12 months due to the following conditions: canal paresis, otolith disorder, removal of an acoustic neuroma, microvascular compression syndrome, Parkinson's disease, presbyvertigo Exclusion criteria: use of drugs which actively influence the vestibular system, sensory deficits exceeding age‐related values, combination of different types of vestibular disorder in the one patient, an acute vestibular disorder, or receiving other treatment for their balance disorder Baseline characteristics: there were no significant differences between the age and sex of the groups at baseline |
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| Interventions | Data included in this review were obtained from the authors and only included participants with UPVD Intervention group: vibrotactile neurofeedback training and vestibular rehabilitation exercises performed daily (15 minutes) over 2 weeks with the Vertiguard system (n = 59) Comparator group: sham Vertiguard device and vestibular rehabilitation exercises (n = 9) VR versus VR |
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| Outcomes |
Primary outcome: DHI Secondary outcomes: VSS, posturography (BalanceMaster) |
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| Notes | No participants were lost to follow‐up. Only data from those with UPVD were included in meta‐analysis | |
| Risk of bias | ||
| Bias | Authors' judgement | Support for judgement |
| Random sequence generation (selection bias) | Unclear risk | Insufficient information about the sequence generation process |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) | Unclear risk | Insufficient information about the method of allocation |
| Blinding (performance bias and detection bias) All outcomes | Low risk | Quote: "The patients as well as the supervisor did not know the group classification" (double‐blinded study design) |
| Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes | Low risk | Numbers of participants contributing to outcome measures were reported and the authors propose that the 40% of participants who did not attend follow‐up sessions were likely to have no remaining vestibular symptoms |
| Selective reporting (reporting bias) | Low risk | Study protocol not available but all data appear to be reported |
| Other bias | Unclear risk | There was no disclosure regarding authors' potential financial interests in the Vertiguard device |