Dizziness Due to Visual Stimuli in Patients With Concussion and Other Causes of Dizziness: Examination of Balance Behaviour

Summary

This research project aims to measure how balance is affected by special visual stimulation. Dizziness caused by complex moving visual patterns, known as optokinetic stimulation, is usually called visually induced dizziness (VID).

The study includes patients with persistent symptoms after a concussion and those with non-traumatic dizziness. Healthy participants serve as a control group for the comparison of balance and symptom responses.

The optokinetic stimulation is done using either a physical rotating disk or a virtual reality (VR) headset. The visual effects are created by bright moving dots. During the stimulation, these patterns move in a specific manner and directions while the subject's balance is recorded. Symptoms such as dizziness, headache, and nausea are also documented.

The goal of this project is to improve objective diagnosis of VID. By comparing patients and healthy subjects, the study aim to assess the severity of the disorder. It is also assumed that using different visual stimuli during the balance assessment will offer more sensitive and accurate results.

In the long term, this innovative assessment method shall support clinicians to establish the diagnosis of VID, and improve the treatment and management of patients with VID.

Conditions

• Dizziness
• Concussion (Diagnosis)
• Traumatic Brain Injury
• Balance Assessment

Interventions

DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Postural Response upon physical optokinetic stimulation

The physical optokinetic stimulation consists of rotating stimulation in either direction using a physical disc (de Vestel, et al., 2022; Guerraz et al., 2001; van Ombergen et al., 2016). The assessment is conducted in complete dark, unless the fluorescent dots (approx. 11% covered of the disc area.). The disc has a diameter of 1 m. Stimulation time per trial will be 30 s.

DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Postural Response upon virtual optokinetic stimulation

The virtual optokinetic stimulation is implemented in virtual reality goggles (Meta Quest 3, Meta Platforms, Menlo Park, CA, USA) applying oscillating and rotating stimulation in frontal and vertical axis with coherent or incoherent stimuli. The assessment in the virtual environment will be as similar as possible compared the physical stimulation. Hence, the virtual environment simulation complete dark, unless the fluorescent dots (approx. 15% covered of the disc area.). In addition to the rotating condition, the virtual dots are able to oscillate on the horizontal or vertical axis to create a more sensitive evaluation method than the physical one (Laurens et al., 2011). Stimulation time per trial will be 30 s.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University Hospital, Zürich

  collaborator OTHER

• BrainCare Medical Group

  collaborator OTHER

• Dominik Straumann

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

DIAGNOSTIC

Masking

SINGLE

Model

CROSSOVER

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

60 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2025-05-14

Primary Completion

2027-04-01

Completion

2027-10-31

Countries

• Switzerland

Study Locations