Giray 2009.
| Methods | Design: randomised controlled trial | |
| Participants |
Number: 41 Age: intervention group: mean age 50 (range 26 to 78), comparator group: mean age 55.5 (range 18 to 73) Gender: intervention group: 6 males, comparator group: 8 males Setting: university hospital outpatient department Eligibility criteria: participants were diagnosed with chronic decompensated unilateral peripheral vestibular deficit, secondary to peripheral vestibular dysfunction by a neuro‐otologist or neurologist. Diagnosed by ENG, bithermal caloric test, ocular motor testing and positional testing Exclusion criteria: any problem that compromised rehabilitation, visual or somato‐sensorial disorders, fluctuating and intermittent vertigo, BPPV, less than 2 months duration of symptoms Baseline characteristics: the only difference between groups was superior performance standing on foam with eyes closed in the intervention group |
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| Interventions |
Intervention group: VR incorporating adaptation, substitution, visual desensitisation and balance exercises (n = 20) Comparator group: control, no input (n = 21) VR versus control (no input) |
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| Outcomes |
Primary outcome: unsteadiness (VAS) Secondary outcomes: DHI, BBS, posturography (BalanceMaster) |
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| Notes | 1 participant from the control group was lost to follow‐up | |
| 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 | High risk | Neither participants, investigators nor outcome assessors were blinded to group allocation |
| Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes | Low risk | 1 patient in the control group dropped out because of difficulty commuting to the hospital |
| Selective reporting (reporting bias) | Low risk | Study protocol not available but all data appear to be reported |
| Other bias | Low risk | The study appears to be free of other sources of bias |