PURPOSE: to check the effectiveness of vestibular rehabilitation exercises (RV) by means of an evaluation of a pre and post application of the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) questionnaire (Brazilian version). METHODS: eight patients were evaluated (three female and five male), in the age group varying from 48 to 71, referred from the Paraná Association of Parkinson to the Otoneurological Laboratory of Tuiuti University of Paraná. The patients were divided in two groups and submitted to the following procedures: anamnesis, otorhinolaryngological evaluation, vestibular evaluation through vectoelectronystagmography (VENG) and an application of DHI questionnaire (Brazilian version) before and after RV, using Cawthorne and Cooksey (group A) and Herdman (group B) protocols. RESULTS: a) regarding the otoneurological complaints referred to in the anamnesis, the prevalence of dizziness (100.0%), trembling (100.0%) and deviation during walking (75.0%) were observed; b) In the vestibular exam, all patients (100.0%) presented alterations, with the largest incidence being the deficient peripheral vestibular syndromes (62.5%); c) There was significant improvement of the functional (p = 0,020470) and emotional (p = 0,013631) aspects after accomplishing the RV exercises using the Cawthorne and Cooksey protocol and of the emotional aspect (p=0,007316) using Herdman protocol. CONCLUSION: comparing the two protocols used, a significant improvement of group A patients, submitted to the protocol of Cawthorne and Cooksey (p=0.0231), was confirmed.
Vestibular Functions Tests; Parkinson Disease; Electronystagmography; Dizziness
