Journal of Isfahan Medical School

Journal of Isfahan Medical School

Comparison of the Effectiveness of Vestibular Rehabilitation and Venlafaxine in the Treatment of Patients with Persistent Postural-Perceptual Dizziness, a Randomized Clinical Trial

Document Type : Original Article (s)

Authors
Seyed Hamidreza Abtahi 1
Narges Askari Sabzkouhi 2
Mohammad Hossein Nilforoush 3
Niloofar Tarbiat Nobari 2
1 Associate Professor, Department of Otolaryngology, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
2 Department of Otolaryngology, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
3 Assistant Professor, Department of Rehabilitation, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
10.48305/jims.v43.i809.0283
Abstract
Background: This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of venlafaxine as a first-line treatment for patients with persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD) and compare the superiority of vestibulo-ocular rehabilitation versus venlafaxine in PPPD patients.
Methods: A randomized clinical trial was conducted on sixty patients (31 males, 29 female) with a mean age of 43 ± 9.9 years, diagnosed with PPPD by Bárány criteria at Al-Zahra Hospital in Isfahan, Iran, from September 2023 to March 2024. Patients were randomly divided into two groups of 30 people each. One group received vestibulo-ocular reflex rehabilitation once a week for six weeks, and the other group received venlafaxine 37.5 mg daily for six weeks. Dizziness severity was measured pre/post-intervention using the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI).
Findings: In the vestibular-ocular rehabilitation group, the mean DHI score before intervention was 46.33 ± 13.65, which reduced to 28.26 ± 12.64 after intervention. In the medical treatment group, the mean DHI score was 47.86 ± 13.57, which dropped to 28.13 ± 10.58 after treatment. Both groups showed significant reductions in DHI scores after treatment (P < 0.001), with no superiority between treatments (P > 0.05).
Conclusion: Venlafaxine can be used as a first-line treatment for patients with PPPD. No superiority was found for vestibular-ocular rehabilitation over venlafaxine in treating PPPD.

Highlights

Seyed Hamidreza Abtahi: Google Scholar 

Mohammad Hussein Nilforoush: Google Scholar  

Keywords
Rehabilitation
Dizziness
Venlafaxine
Subjects
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Journal of Isfahan Medical School
Volume 43, Issue 809
1st Week, June
May and June 2025
Pages 284-292

  • Receive Date 28 May 2024
  • Accept Date 01 June 2025