Vibrotactile Feedback Belt in Patients With Unilateral Vestibular Hypofunction (UVH)

Use of a Vibrotactile Feedback Belt in People With Chronic Disabling Unilateral Vestibular Hypofunction: a Single-case Experiment

The goal of this clinical trial is to study the impact of a continuous vibrotactile feedback belt on balance, (fear of) falling, fatigue and overall functioning in participants with chronic disabling unilateral vestibular hypofunction.

The main questions it aims to answer are: • does wearing a vibrotactile feedback belt during waking hours for a week improve sense of balance and mobility, fear of falling, fatigue and overall functioning • does wearing a vibrotactile feedback belt influence static and dynamic balance and gait performance during balance and gait testing.

Participants will goes through different phases in an randomized order; a baseline phase, a sham phase (i.e., wearing the BalanceBelt while it is switched off) and an intervention phase (i.e., wearing the BalanceBelt while it is switched on).

It is expected that, just as with patients with bilateral loss of the balance organ, patients with a unilateral loss will also benefit from the BalanceBelt.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Diagnosed with severe unilateral vestibular dysfunction (i.e., a gain below 0.6 of the affected side and a gain between 0.8 and 1.1 of the contralateral side measured by the video-Head Impulse Test (vHIIT)).
• Duration of dizziness complaints >3 months (i.e. chronic dizziness).
• Self-reported imbalance with a fear of falling and/or actual falls.
• Is able to walk (with or without a walking aid).
• Self-reported overall Mobility and Balance Score (MBS) of 3-5 points
• Motivated to try the BalanceBelt.
• Provides written informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Age < 18 years
• Presence of neurological, psychiatric or orthopaedic disorders, Persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD), reduced proprioceptive sensitivity or impaired vision which influences the postural stability.
• Not able to understand instructions and questionnaires in Dutch
• Not able/willing to visit Gelre Hospital Apeldoorn for necessary visits.
• Wheelchair bound at home