Computerized Vestibular Rehabilitation

Disorders of vestibular function and balance are an important component of many conditions that commonly affect veterans, such as inner ear diseases, diabetes, and traumatic brain injury. Veterans with vestibular impairment have reduced quality of life, limitations on work and physical activities, and an increased risk of falls. The goal of this research is to develop a more engaging and effective interactive tool for vestibular rehabilitation to improve the lives of affected veterans. The first steps in this process will be to test the ability of the application to facilitate vestibular learning and to test its feasibility in vestibular patients. The hypothesis is that computer-game-based adaptation will induce robust VOR motor learning and will provide an engaging platform for vestibular rehabilitation. Ultimately, our application has the potential to provide more flexible vestibular exercises that will allow therapy to be customized for each patient. It will also have the ability to track a patient's progress over time and to advance exercises as function improves.