VESTIBULAR REHABILITATION: AN ANALYSIS OF SCIENTIFC ARTICLES PUBLISHED FROM 2003

Abstract

Introduction: Vestibular dysfunction affects individuals of all ages indiscriminately, leading to symptoms such as imbalance, rotational sensation and falls. As a result, it may affect the individual’s daily life, as well as family, social and professional relationships. As vestibular rehabilitation (VR) has been used to treat patients with balance disorders, there has been an increasing effort of researchers towards the study of this procedure. Objective: To analyze the scientific articles on VR published between 2003 and 2012. Material and Methods: Articles searches were carried out in the databases Scielo, Medline and Lilacs using the term "vestibular rehabilitation". A total of 2443 studies were retrieved, of which 68 met the inclusion criteria. Results: The majority of the articles analyzed had the following profile: published in 2010 (17.65%) by a medical professional (52.94%), with patients not presenting a specific disease (45.59%) and no defined age group (58.82%). Also, most articles did not use the dizziness handicap questionnaire (51.47%). The most used VR protocol was Cawthorne and Cooksey’s (69.56%). Among the studies performed in Brazil there was predominance of the Southeast region (63.89%) and among those produced abroad, the majority were from the United States (46.88%). Conclusions: VR has been consistently presented as an effective procedure for the improvement of activities of daily living and reducing the risk of falling. This procedure is considered a simple and appropriate treatment for dizziness, an extremely common symptom in the population. DESCRIPTORS Dizziness. Vestibular Diseases. Scientific Research and Technological Development.