Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of betahistine dihydrochloride alone and in combination with vestibular rehabilitation for the management of patients with balance disorders following head trauma.
Methods: In this preliminary clinical trial, a group of patients with head trauma was referred to our university-based tertiary care balance unit over a 1-year period. The study included 60 patients with balance disorder following head trauma. Patients were randomly divided into 3 groups with 20 patients each. The first group was treated by betahistine dihydrochloride tablets 48 mg/d alone. The second group was treated with a standard vestibular rehabilitation program. The third group was given betahistine dihydrochloride tablets (48 mg/d) in addition to the early standard vestibular rehabilitation program. Videonystagmography was used in the diagnosis, characterization, and monitoring of all patients with balance disorders, with improvement of the pretreatment objective results taken as a marker for treatment progress.
Results: Recovery time was within the first 3 months following head trauma in 57 (95%) of the patients. Recovery was faster after mild head trauma than after moderate and severe traumas. Patients who underwent vestibular rehabilitation immediately after the onset of head trauma (with or without addition of betahistine dihydrochloride) recovered earlier than those treated with betahistine dihydrochloride alone.
Conclusion: Based on these preliminary findings in a small group of patients, early vestibular rehabilitation with the concomitant use of betahistine dihydrochloride showed better results than the other 2 treatments alone in patients with balance disorders following head trauma. Early vestibular rehabilitation seemed to improve recovery that was enhanced by the use of betahistine dihydrochloride, and may have depressed the associated adverse effects such as nausea and vomiting.
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