Background: Stroke is a neurological disorder with a vascular cause, such as cerebral infarction or hemorrhage, and causes dizziness, balance, and gait impairments in patients. Vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT) involves a variety of exercises that can improve balance, gait, and gaze stability in stroke patients by affecting the vestibular system and improving dynamic balance. By providing a virtual environment, the use of virtual reality (VR) can aid stroke patients in improving their balance and gait. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the comparative effects of vestibular rehabilitation with virtual reality on dizziness, balance, and gait in patients with subacute stroke. Methods: The randomized clinical trial involved 34 subacute stroke patients randomly assigned to 2 groups; 1 received VRT and the other VR treatment. To assess mobility and balance, the Time Up and Go test was used, the Dynamic Gait Index was used to assess the gait, and the Dizziness Handicap Inventory was used to determine the level of dizziness symptoms. Each group received 24 sessions of allocated treatment, 3 sessions every week for 8 weeks. Using SPSS 20, both groups pretest and posttest readings were analyzed and compared. Results: Between the VR and VRT groups, balance (P−.01) and gait (P−.01) were significantly improved in the VR group, while dizziness was significantly improved in the VRT group with P < .001. On within-group comparison, both groups showed significant improvements in balance, gait, and dizziness with P < .001. Conclusion: Both vestibular rehabilitation therapy and VR improved dizziness, balance, and gait in subacute stroke patients. However, VR was more effective in improving balance and gait among patients with subacute strokes.

The aim of this study was to compare the effects of Half-Somersault and Brandt-Daroff exercises on dizziness, fear of fall, and quality of life in patients with posterior canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (PC-BPPV). This study was conducted from July 2020 to November 2020. A total of 20 patients were enrolled in the study, through sealed envelope method, and assigned to two groups, A and B (10 in each). Vestibular activity and participation measure and Fall Efficacy Scale (FES) were used. The mean age of the patients was 36.70±11.58 years. There was a significant (p=0.05) difference between the Vestibular activities and participation measure (VAP) score at post intervention and Fall Efficacy Scale (FES) (p<0.05) between the groups. Within group analysis showed significant results (p=0.01). This study concluded that both manoeuvers are significantly effective in the treatment of PC-BPPV, but patients treated with Brandt-Daroff exercises reported more improvement in terms of quality of life and residual dizziness compared to the Half Somersault group. Key words: Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, dizziness, vestibular rehabilitation.