Habilidades cognitivas em idosos com disfunção vestibular submetidos à reabilitação vestibular: estudo piloto

Abstract

Introduction: Studies have reported improved cognitive skills after vestibular rehabilitation (VR). However, they used cognitive screening tests or other ones that assess specific cognitive skills, not assessing cognition in detail. Objective: To assess cognitive skills, depressive symptoms, functioning, and sociodemographic aspects in older adults with vestibular dysfunction before and after vestibular rehabilitation. Method: Longitudinal, analytical, quasi-experimental study. The sample had 11 older adults aged 60 to 89 years, of both sexes, all of them with vestibular dysfunction verified with VEMP and/or vHIT examination. Participants were submitted to cognitive, functioning, and depressive symptoms assessment before and after eight weekly VR sessions. Results: MMSE was associated with educational attainment and DHI; the Pfeffer questionnaire was correlated with DHI; GDS-15 was correlated with VAS and BBS. After VR, there were improvements in gain in the right anterior semicircular canal, VAS, DHI and its physical, functional, and emotional subscales, GDS-15, and Neupsilin total score and its perception, memory, and praxis subscales. Conclusion: After VR, the vestibulo-ocular reflex gain increased, the impacts of dizziness on the quality of life and the psychological suffering decreased, and the overall cognitive function and perception, memory, and praxis skills improved