Virtual reality in rehabilitation for dizziness
| ISRCTN | ISRCTN17475939 |
|---|---|
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN17475939 |
| Sponsor | Lund University |
| Funders | Lunds Universitet, Lions Research Foundation Skåne |
- Submission date
- 21/10/2025
- Registration date
- 16/02/2026
- Last edited
- 16/02/2026
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Overall study status
- Ongoing
- Condition category
- Signs and Symptoms
Plain English summary of protocol
Background and study aims
Balance impairment is one of the most important risk factors for falls. The prevalence of disability due to balance impairments increases with age, and older people face considerable problems with independence, participating in society and being physically active. The societal costs for healthcare and social services due to balance impairments and subsequent falls, and dependence on others, are high. Accordingly, more efficient interventions to prevent falls are called for. The purpose of this project is to test the feasibility of a future study on the effect of adding Virtual Reality (VR) to rehabilitation among older people with persistent balance impairment.
Who can participate?
Senior patients (aged 64 years and over) with a diagnosis of multisensory dizziness.
What does the study involve?
One group in the study will watch a VR movie, for balance challenging tasks, such as walking in a grocery store and also ordinary vestibular rehabilitation exercises and balance exercises in the form of a home-based training program. The control intervention will be a home-based training program only.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
The benefit is that all participants receive a very thorough assessment of vestibular function and balance. Another benefit is that, if the Virtual Reality interventions are shown to have an effect, the participants have received effective treatment.
There is a small risk of falls during the Virtual Reality sessions. This is prevented by the physiotherapist standing close to the participants during sessions.
Where is the study run from?
Lund University, Sweden.
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
April 2025 to June 2026
Who is funding the study?
1. Lund University, Sweden.
2. Lions Research Foundation Skåne, Sweden.
Who is the main contact?
Prof Eva Ekvall Hansson, eva.ekvall_hansson@med.lu.se
Contact information
Public, Scientific, Principal investigator
Forum Medicum Sölvegatan 19
Lund
22362
Sweden
 ORCID ID |
0000-0001-7552-6486 |
|---|---|
| Phone | 0706398663 |
| eva.ekvall_hansson@med.lu.se |
Study information
| Primary study design | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Study design | Pilot and feasibility study of a randomised controlled trial |
| Secondary study design | Randomised controlled trial |
| Scientific title | Virtual reality for optimizing rehabilitation for older people with multisensory dizziness - a pilot and feasibility RCT. |
| Study objectives | The aim is to study the feasibility of a future randomized controlled trial. The future RCT will study the effect of adding training with Virtual Reality to ordinary vestibular rehabilitation treatment for older people with multisensory dizziness. |
| Ethics approval(s) |
Approved 02/04/2025, The Swedish Ethical Authority (Box 110, SE 750 02, Uppsala, 750 02, Sweden; 010-475 08 00; registrator@etikprovning.se), ref: 2024-08582-01 |
| Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied | Multisensory dizziness |
| Intervention | People with multisensory dizziness have not responded satisfactorily to treatment with vestibular rehabilitation (TAU). Virtual Reality might offer possibilities to challenge the balance system and initiate a reweighting from vision to other sensory systems. This study assesses Virtual Reality added to vestibular rehabilitation compared to vestibular rehabilitation alone. The Virtual Reality interventions include watching a Virtual Reality movie for balance challenging tasks, twice a week for 9 weeks and performing vestibular rehabilitation exercises daily at home for 9 weeks. The control intervention includes vestibular rehabilitation exercises daily at home for 9 weeks only. A physiotherapist will assess all patients, individualize the home exercises and assist during Virtual Reality sessions. Vestibular rehabilitation is performed by means of home exercises, through a written program with text and figures. Virtual Reality sessions are performed face-to-face. Assessments and Virtual Reality sessions take place at the balance laboratory at the ENT department at Skåne University Hospital in Lund. Both groups do home exercises for about 15 minutes every day. The Virtual Reality group watches a Virtual Reality movie twice a week, every session taking about 10-15 minutes. Both interventions are performed for 9 weeks. |
| Intervention type | Behavioural |
| Primary outcome measure(s) |
Feasibility will be assessed by measuring the following using study data at the 9-week follow-up: |
| Key secondary outcome measure(s) |
The following secondary outcome measures are assessed at baseline and at 9-week follow-up: |
| Completion date | 30/06/2026 |
Eligibility
| Participant type(s) | Patient |
|---|---|
| Age group | Mixed |
| Lower age limit | 64 Years |
| Upper age limit | 100 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Target sample size at registration | 20 |
| Key inclusion criteria | The diagnosis of multisensory dizziness |
| Key exclusion criteria | Not meeting the ket inclusion criteria |
| Date of first enrolment | 01/11/2025 |
| Date of final enrolment | 30/06/2026 |
Locations
Countries of recruitment
- Sweden
Study participating centre
Lund
SE22241
Sweden
Results and Publications
| Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share | Yes |
|---|---|
| IPD sharing plan | The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are/will be available upon request from Prof Eva Ekvall Hansson, eva.ekvall_hansson@med.lu.se • The type of data that will be shared: All secondary outcome measures. • Timing for availability: After publication of the study • Whether consent from participants was required and obtained: Yes, consent from participants is required and will be obtained. • Comments on data anonymization: All data will be anonymized and only data at a group level will be shared. • Any ethical or legal restrictions: No individual data can be shared. • Any additional comments: None |
Editorial Notes
21/10/2025: Study's existence confirmed by the Swedish Ethical Authority, Sweden.
