Effect of vestibular rehabilitation therapy on balance function and quality of life in patients with Parkinson's disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE

To systematically evaluate the efficacy of vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT) in balancing function and quality of life for patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD).

METHODS

A comprehensive literature review was conducted for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published before May 1, 2025, in PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase, CNKI, CBM, China Scientific Journal, and Wan Fang databases.

RESULTS

Six RCTs encompassing 427 patients were included. The meta-analysis indicated that VRT significantly improved Berg Balance Scale (BBS) scores (MD = 5.16, 95% CI = [2.01, 8.30], P < 0.05), decreased Timed Up and Go Test (TUGT) scores (MD = − 1.89, 95% CI = [− 2.79, − 0.98], P < 0.05), and reduced 39-item Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39) scores (MD = − 2.18, 95% CI = [− 3.55, − 0.80], P < 0.05). Subgroup analysis revealed that interventions lasting ≥ 8 weeks yielded greater improvements in BBS scores (MD = 6.87, 95% CI = [3.62, 10.12], P < 0.05) compared with interventions < 8 weeks (MD = 1.87, 95% CI = [0.73, 3.00], P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

VRT effectively enhances balance function and quality of life in PD patients, with intervention cycles of ≥ 8 weeks potentially providing superior benefits.