Kübra Binay Bolat
I graduated from the Department of Audiology at Üsküdar University, Faculty of Health Sciences in 2018. I also completed a double major in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, graduating in 2019. In 2018, I enrolled in the Master’s Program in Audiology and Speech Disorders at Ankara University, Institute of Health Sciences, and completed the program in 2021 with my thesis titled "Evaluation of the Auditory Efferent Pathway in Normal-Hearing Individuals."
In the same year, I began my doctoral studies in the Audiology and Speech Disorders Ph.D. Program at Ankara University, Institute of Health Sciences. Concurrently, I have been serving as a Research Assistant in the Department of Audiology at Selçuk University. Through an academic assignment, I began working at the Audiology Clinic of the Department of Otolaryngology, Ankara University Faculty of Medicine, where I continue to provide clinical care in the field of vestibular assessment and rehabilitation.
Throughout this period, I have published several studies in national and international journals, primarily focusing on the vestibular system, peripheral vestibular disorders, vestibular rehabilitation, and tinnitus.I am currently working on peripheral vestibular groups and internet-based vestibular compatibility in my doctoral thesis.
Session
Persistent Postural-Perceptual Dizziness (PPPD) is a recently defined chronic functional disorder of the vestibular system, characterized by persistent dizziness, subjective vertigo, and a continuous sensation of imbalance. In terms of etiology, PPPD most commonly develops following vestibular migraine (49%) and vestibular paroxysm (51%), followed by bilateral vestibular weakness (24%), vestibular neuritis (22%), and benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (15%).
The treatment and management of PPPD involve psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, pharmacological interventions, and vestibular rehabilitation. Posturographic assessments are utilized to monitor the effectiveness of vestibular rehabilitation programs.
Vestibular rehabilitation has proven to be highly effective in improving balance function, facilitating functional recovery, enhancing quality of life, and reducing the risk of falls in patients with acute, subacute, and chronic unilateral or bilateral peripheral vestibular hypofunction. Exercise-based interventions are prioritized in the treatment of peripheral vestibular hypofunction. While pharmacological treatment may be necessary during the acute phase, long-term medication use has limited efficacy in managing this condition.
Contemporary approaches to vestibular rehabilitation are evolving, with the incorporation of technologies such as virtual reality-based rehabilitation and anti-fall training using vibrotactile stimuli. However, there is a significant lack of research on internet-based vestibular rehabilitation interventions.
In this study, a set of vestibular rehabilitation exercises was developed, recorded, and uploaded to a dedicated website in collaboration with a software developer. Written instructions were provided beneath each video. Patients were instructed to watch the videos five days per week and to perform the exercises for a minimum of 20 minutes per day, as prescribed.
The rehabilitation program consisted of the following components:
Habituation exercises
Gaze stabilization exercises
Static and dynamic balance exercises
Exercises involving complex visual patterns
Exercises on soft surfaces
Walking exercises
Each participant was evaluated both before and after the rehabilitation program using Computerized Dynamic Posturography (CDP), the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI), and the Activities of Daily Living Scale in Vestibular Disorders. Pre- and post-intervention results will be compared, and statistical analyses will be conducted to determine whether the observed differences are statistically significant.