Meniere’s disease is a chronic disorder of the inner ear that causes severe vertigo, tinnitus, hearing loss, and a feeling of fullness in the ear. Individuals with Meniere’s disease often struggle with balance issues, dizziness, and anxiety due to their symptoms.
The predictive power of the multi-layer perceptron classifier suggested that the extracted radiomic features captured differences in the labyrinth of patients with MD and controls. Hypothetically, these differences could mirror changes in the morphology or perhaps even changes in the molecular biology of the inner ear of patients with MD, allowing an improved understanding of the pathophysiology of the disease. It would be valuable to look into the most discriminative features and identify them as visually perceptible or even visually non-perceptual image biomarkers for MD. Increasing evidence indicates that diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive information can be extracted from standard-of-care image modalities [20–22].
What is VR therapy?
Fourthly, the absence of serious adverse events related to online VR indicates this treatment is safe to use in general practice, but harms may have been underreported. Participants were asked about adverse reactions at the three and six month follow-up and were encouraged to report these directly to the trial team. Since contact with the trial team during the trial was minimal, participants might have forgotten to mention some harmful side effects. Because our results are consistent with previous VR studies, where serious adverse events were also absent,1424 online VR can probably be considered a safe form of treatment.
For the inclusion of subjects, a conventional MRI scan of the cerebellopontine angle already available from the clinical setting was required. Rough motion artifacts and/or unsharp delineation of the inner ear on MRI was an exclusion criterion. Subjects were enrolled as “patients” when clinically diagnosed by an ENT-specialist as definite MD according to the criteria of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) [25] and/or Barany society (2015) [4]. Subjects were enrolled as “controls” when diagnosed by an ENT-specialist with idiopathic asymmetric sensorineural hearing loss. The labyrinth least affected by hearing loss was considered the best representative of a ‘normal’ labyrinth and was included in the study.
Virtual reality (VR) therapy is a form of treatment that uses immersive technology to simulate real-life environments and experiences. By wearing a VR headset, individuals can be transported to different virtual worlds where they can engage in various activities and exercises.
Garcia et al.34 reported DHI scores that had a high RoB due to outcome measurement. Similarly, Krueger et al.’s35 study included DHI and motion sensitivity quotient (MSQ) scores which were both at a high RoB due to there being some concerns of bias in randomization, outcome measurement and reporting (Table 2). If you’re experiencing symptoms of Meniere’s disease, your doctor will order tests to examine your balance and hearing, and rule out other causes of your symptoms.
Both contributed to protocol development and submission, data extraction, risk of bias assessment and manuscript preparation. Undertook data analysis and prepared the initial manuscript draft. But Paul, Bullock and their colleagues at Stanford VRIT believe the cost and ease of many VR platforms — especially those that use mobile phones inserted into cheap cardboard headsets — make it an easy treatment to scale up.
How can VR benefit individuals with Meniere’s disease?
- Balance training: VR can be used to create customized balance exercises that help individuals with Meniere’s disease improve their stability and reduce their risk of falls.
- Exposure therapy: VR can also be used to expose individuals to situations that trigger their symptoms in a controlled environment, helping them desensitize and cope with their anxiety.
- Cognitive rehabilitation: VR games and activities can help individuals with Meniere’s disease improve their cognitive function, memory, and attention skills.
FAQs about VR with Meniere’s disease:
- Is VR therapy safe for individuals with Meniere’s disease?
- Yes, VR therapy is considered safe for individuals with Meniere’s disease as long as it is administered by trained professionals.
- How often should individuals with Meniere’s disease undergo VR therapy?
- The frequency of VR therapy sessions may vary depending on the individual’s needs and progress. It is best to consult with a healthcare provider for personalized recommendations.
