Effect of vestibular therapy as an adjunct to cognitive therapy to improve cognition in elderly with mild cognitive impairment (MCI): a randomized controlled trial

Background and aims. The rate of population aging is drastically accelerating globally, having significant social, economic, and health repercussions. The prevalence of aging-related illnesses, such as mild cognitive impairment (MCI), will rise in elderly population as they get older, highlighting necessity of developing new treatment methods to stop MCI. This study aimed to determine effect of vestibular therapy as an adjunct to cognitive therapy to improve cognition in elderly with MCI. Methods. This was a three-armed, randomized controlled trial. The study was conducted with an estimated sample size of 36. After eligibility screening, participants were randomly assigned to vestibular therapy as an adjunct to cognitive therapy (VT+CT), cognitive therapy (CT) alone, and a control group. Participants in VT+CT group received vestibular therapy and computerized brain program. The CT alone group received a computerized brain program only. Primary outcome measures were ERP-P300, and Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST), and secondary outcomes included Stroop Color Word Test (SCWT) and Trail Making Test. Data was collected at baseline, 8th week, and 2 weeks after intervention. Results. VT+CT resulted in greater improvement in measures of cognition including ERP-P300 latency (p < 0.03) and its amplitude (p < 0.04), DSST (p < 0.00), and TMT-B (p < 0.00) as compared to CT alone, and control group.Conclusions. Given the superior effects in favor of VT+CT, It could reliably be argued that incorporating vestibular therapy in intervention regimen may yield greater improvements in cognition as evident in present study on measures of cognition like ERP-P300, DSST, and TMT-B in elderly with MCI.