The development of a new vestibular rehabilitation using virtual reality

• Project/Area Number: 25462644
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Otorhinolaryngology
• Research Institution: The University of Tokushima
• Principal Investigator: TAKEDA Noriaki 徳島大学, 大学院医歯薬学研究部, 教授 (30206982)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): KITAHARA Tadashi 奈良県立医科大学, 医学部, 教授 (30343255) ; ABE Koji 徳島大学, 大学院医歯薬学研究部, 准教授 (20346589)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2015)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,940,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,140,000); Fiscal Year 2015: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000); Fiscal Year 2014: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000); Fiscal Year 2013: ¥2,600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥600,000)
• Keywords: バーチャルリアリティー / 仮想現 / 視覚と前庭・体性感覚不一致 / 姿勢制御 / 視覚依存性 / 運動パフォーマンス / 体性感覚依存性

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In the present study, an attempt was made to develop a new vestibular rehabilitation for patients with vestibular diseases using virtual reality (VR) technology. For this purpose, we developed software to create the VR world with time lags between visual scene and head/body motion to induce visual-vestibulosomatosensory conflict. All findings in the present study suggest that vestibular rehabilitation to adapt repeated visual-vestibulosomatosensory conflict in the VR world decreases the contribution of visual inputs to posture control with reweighing somatosensory inputs to improve postural control and motor performance in patients with vestibular diseases. Therefore, VR can be used as a new vestibular rehabilitation tool for the treatment of dizzy patients. But, during the adaptation in the VR world, falling due to postural instability and motion sickness may be induced. Appropriate preventive measures are needed in the vestibular rehabilitation with VR.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Effects of repeated optic flow stimulation on gait termination in humans. (2013)
  • Author(s): Okazaki S, Nishiike S, Watanabe H, Imai T, Uno A, Kitahara T, Horii A, Kamakura T, Takimoto Y, Takeda N, Inohara H
  • Journal Title: Acta Otolaryngologica Volume: 133 Issue: 3 Pages: 246-252
  • DOI: 10.3109/00016489.2012.740163
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] The effect of visual-vestibulosomatosensory conflict induced by virtual reality on postural stability in humans (2013)
  • Author(s): S. Nishiike, S. Okazaki, H. Watanabe, H. Akizuki, T. Imai, A. Uno, T. Kitahara, A. Horii, N. Takeda and H. Inohara
  • Journal Title: J. Med. Invest. Volume: 60 Pages: 236-239
  • NAID: 130004822688
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Presentation] The effect of age on the adaptaion process of gait termination under the repeated optic flow stimulation. (2013)
  • Author(s): S. Okazaki, S. Nishiike, H. Watanabe, T. Imai, A. Uno, T. Kitahara, A. Horii, N. Takeda and H. Inohara
  • Organizer: 2nd Joint World Confress of ISPGR/Gait & Mental Finction
  • Place of Presentation: 秋田ビューホテル（秋田県）
• [Remarks] 徳島大学医学部耳鼻咽喉科ホームページ
  • URL: http://www.toku-oto.umin.jp
• [Remarks] 徳島大学医学部耳鼻咽喉科ホームページ
  • URL: http://www.toku-oto.umin.jp