Unit:
Faculty of MedicineLibrary of the School of Health Sciences
Dissertation committee:
Μπίμπας Αθανάσιος, Καθηγητής, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Doris Eva Bamiou, Professor, Brain Sciences, UCL
Σακελλάρη Βασιλική, Καθηγήτρια, Σχολή Επιστημών Υγείας, ΠΑΔΑ
Χρυσούλα Θώδη, Καθηγήτρια, Τμήμα Επιστημών Υγείας, European University of Cyprus
Χρήστος Κόνσουλας, Αναπληρωτής Καθηγητής, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Αναστάσιος Φιλίππου, Αναπληρωτής Καθηγητής, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Ευθύμιος Κυροδήμος, Αναπληρωτής Καθηγητής, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Original Title:
Φυσικοθεραπευτική αποκατάσταση στις αιθουσαίες διαταραχές
Translated title:
Physical rehabilitation in vestibular disorders
Summary:
The otolithic organs and the semicircular canals, located in the inner ear, constitute the most sophisticated system of human movement control, controlling basic reflexes and contributing to complex cognitive functions. This system is called vestibular and its dysfunction is usually experienced as vertigo, dizziness, instability, intolerance to movement, impaired cognitive function, and even personality disorders.
The natural process that the human brain follows to reverse vestibular dysfunction is called vestibular compensation and its description at the molecular, cellular, and neuronal level is described in Chapter One of this Ph.D. thesis. Modern evidence suggests that a successful compensatory process is likely to be achieved at a cost, which is placed on the cognitive capacity of the human brain to perform simultaneously two or more tasks.
Thus, Chapter Two addresses a cross-sectional study in individuals with peripheral vestibular disorders by identifying correlations between their functional gait and parameters of cognitive function as well as the potential predictive value of subjective perception of symptoms of a peripheral vestibular lesion, age, and vigilance in functional gait and risk of falls.
Movement and especially therapeutic exercise, a specifically designed physical activity with a specific therapeutic goal and under the supervision of a health professional - in our case by a physiotherapist, is the safest and most effective treatment for peripheral vestibular disorders. Chapter Three presents the methods of recording and reporting dysfunction due to peripheral vestibular pathology, the strong research evidence for the effectiveness of therapeutic exercise, the strong recommendations of clinical guidelines, and the future perspective in rehabilitation which includes the implementation of a therapeutic protocol in mixed reality conditions which appears to offer an extra clinical benefit.
Based on the latter observation, Chapter Four presents a pilot study investigating the effect of specialized and low-cost equipment necessary to create augmented reality conditions on the performance of therapeutic exercises frequently included in therapeutic protocols for the rehabilitation of peripheral vestibular disorders. Chapter Five summarizes the conclusions of the thesis.
Both clinical studies included in this Ph.D. thesis are original and offer to the scientific community evidence for the predictive value of parameters in the functional gait of people with peripheral vestibular disorders and evidence for modifying the performance of therapeutic exercise during its implementation using augmented reality equipment.
The 1st Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens based in Hippocrateion General Hospital is the first clinic in Greece to integrate therapeutic exercise as a service for people with peripheral vestibular disorders.
Main subject category:
Health Sciences
Keywords:
Physiotherapy, Rehabilitation, Vestibular system, Postural control
Number of references:
182
