Virtual reality is a tool used in the rehabilitation of neurodegenerative diseases and vestibular disorders, enabling immersion in a playful and illusory world.

To determine the effects of vestibular rehabilitation with virtual reality in adults with vestibular disorders.

Appropriate word combinations were selected and tailored specifically to seven electronic databases. Studies that investigated vestibular rehabilitation with virtual reality in individuals > 18-years-old and diagnosed with vestibular dysfunction were included. The risk of bias and the certainty of the evidence was assessed. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed, with a total of 18 articles included. There was an improvement in the level of confidence in balance scores between baseline and postintervention of 11.22 (95% CI = 8.55–13.88; I2 = 18%). An improvement in the disabling effects caused by dizziness was also observed, with a difference between means in relation to the two periods of −22.76 (95% CI = -28.70 to -16.82; I2 = 88%). The certainty of evidence assessment was very low.

Virtual reality therapy in vestibular disorders has shown efficient results, being a useful, low-cost, and motivating tool in the treatment of these disorders.

The protocol for the current systematic review was registered on the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) website (under number CRD 42018095655).

Data will be available upon request to the corresponding author.

Editor-in-Chief: Geraldo Pereira Jotz.

Received: 19 November 2024

Accepted: 13 October 2025

Article published online:
08 May 2026

© 2026. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Thieme Revinter Publicações Ltda.
Rua Rego Freitas, 175, loja 1, República, São Paulo, SP, CEP 01220-010, Brazil

Bibliographical Record
Bianca Simone Zeigelboim, Bianca L. Cavalcante-Leão, Alice Helena de Lima Santos Cardoso, Rosane Sampaio Santos, Helio Afonso Ghizoni Teive, Karinna Verissimo Meira Taveira, Geslaine Janaina Bueno dos Santos, Maria Izabel Rodrigues Severiano, Vanessa Luisa Destro Fidêncio, Cristiano Miranda de Araujo. Effects of Vestibular Rehabilitation with Virtual Reality in Adults with Vestibular Dysfunction: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Int Arch Otorhinolaryngol 2026; 30: s00461819714.
DOI: 10.1055/s-0046-1819714