chronic dizziness relief from flight simulators

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Flight simulators can provide relief from the symptoms of chronic

dizziness

Medical Research News Thursday, 7-Oct-2004

Vision and motion simulators similar to those used by fighter pilots and

astronauts can provide relief from the symptoms of chronic dizziness,

researchers at Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust and Imperial College

London report in the Journal of Neurology.

Patients with a history of balance problems, including dizziness and

vertigo, show up to 50% improvement in the frequency and intensity of

dizziness after attending a series of ‘simulator therapy’ sessions. The

sessions combine rotating disk, spinning chair and video-based exercises

that create the illusion of movement. The treatment strengthens the

visual input to the brain, improving balance and reducing dizziness.

“Input from your muscles and joints, your inner ear and your eyes make

up the triad of sensory information your body needs to stay balanced,”

explains Professor Adolfo Bronstein, lead author and head of the

department of neurotology at Charing Cross Hospital in London. “In

patients with inner ear damage, we thought that by strengthening the

other inputs this would lead to a reduction in dizziness. We are very

excited that the results of this trial bear this out, and that these

simulator exercises, when combined with physiotherapy, strengthen the

sensory input the brain receives which allows correct balance to be

maintained.”

Forty patients with chronic inner ear symptoms lasting many years were

enrolled into the study. All received standard physiotherapy, with half

additionally receiving the visual simulation exercises twice weekly for

two months. “We found that the frequency and intensity of dizzy spells

was reduced, along with an improvement in balance and coordination in

all patients, more so in the half that received the visual simulations,”

explains Professor Bronstein. ”These exercises, which are used to train

pilots to avoid motion sickness, are simple to set up so we are

confident that they will soon become part of the standard treatment

programme for chronic dizziness.”

The inner ear, or vestibular system, is a complex arrangement of

fluid-filled chambers that acts like a mercury tilt-switch, relaying to

the brain information on human balance. When disrupted by a disease such

as a cold or flu, or by head injury, the signals become confused

resulting in dizziness, vertigo and feelings of nausea. While over a

third of the population may experience a vestibular disorder at some

point in their lives, chronic dizziness lasting many years has a hugely

detrimental effect on quality of life, leaving many patients anxious and

depressed. “As well as an improvement in dizziness symptoms and balance,

an encouraging finding from this study is that patients’ anxiety and

depression was reduced by over a third,” comments Professor Bronstein.

“By strengthening visual movement, an often neglected aspect of the

balance system, we can make a real difference to these patients’ quality

of life.”

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