Outcome measures to assess and manage bilateral vestibulopathy in adults: a systematic review

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Bilateral vestibulopathy (BV) is a complex chronic condition characterized by a significantly reduced or absent function in both vestibular organs. Although the diagnostic criteria for BV have been established, the challenge arises when approaching BV management. To select appropriate outcome measures (OMs), it is essential first to identify all available measures. This systematic review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the OMs reported in the literature for assessing and managing BV in adults. This review was performed in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. The final set of studies was used for OM extraction. OM categories were identified and a categorization system was proposed. The frequency of use of OMs reported was conducted as an indication of reliance. Subsequently, the proposed OM categorization was combined with the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health model. Extracted OMs were used a total of 2,118 times: 1,213 times for inclusion, and 905 times for evaluation purposes. Six main categories of OMs were identified. The vestibular category contained the most frequently used OMs, primarily for study inclusion. This was followed by motor-related and quality-of-life–related OMs, which were mainly used for study evaluation. Cognitive, mental well-being, and auditory OMs were the least investigated categories. Significant variability within OM categories was observed. This review highlights the variability in OMs for assessing and managing BV in the available literature. To mitigate this, a categorization system was proposed. This review marks an initial step toward establishing a standardized core set of OMs for assessing and managing BV.