# Activity and Participation in Vestibulopathy

> **NIH NIH K23** · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · 2022 · $116,536

## Abstract

Current vestibular rehabilitation intervenes upon vestibular impairments (balance, gaze stability, and
dizziness). Activity and participation are reduced in people with vestibulopathy, but are not addressed in
vestibular rehabilitation protocols. Approximately 40% of people with vestibulopathy do not fully recover and
transition to a state of chronic disability, which often results from reductions in activity and participation, and.
Evidence from rehabilitation science within other populations suggest that return to full activity and participation
is related to functional mobility status, and also several behavioral, personal, and environmental factors.
Similarly, we suspect that cognitive, mood, and personal (confidence, coping, and fear avoidance) factors that
are modifiable, may impact activity and participation in people with vestibulopathy. It is also unknown whether
improvements in activity and participation are related to remediation of impairments following vestibular
rehabilitation. Activity and participation represent important domains to target to optimize outcomes and reduce
chronic disability. This career development award will establish Dr. Brooke Klatt as a clinical scientist with
expertise in 3 primary domains: (1) cohort design and analysis; (2) qualitative methodology, and (3) complex
rehabilitation intervention development and behavioral clinical trial methodology. Dr. Klatt has assembled a
multi-disciplinary team of experts in rehabilitation intervention development and implementation (Jennifer
Brach, PhD, PT and Elizabeth Skidmore, PhD, OTR/L), activity and participation assessment and
epidemiological methods (Andrea Rosso, PhD, MPH), behavioral impacts on vestibular recovery (Jeffrey
Staab, MD), and clinical trial methodology (Megan Hamm, PhD and Charity Patterson, PhD, MSPH). Dr. Klatt
will conduct a series of studies to develop an enhanced vestibular intervention that will augment current
vestibular rehabilitation targeted to improve activity and participation. She will investigate whether impairments
(balance, gait, gaze stability, dizziness, cognition, and mood) as well as personal factors (confidence, coping
skills, and fear avoidance) are related to activity and participation in people with vestibulopathy (Aim 1), and
she will determine if reductions in vestibular impairment is related to improvements in activity and participation
(Aim 2). She will use stakeholder input from clinicians and patients to determine the delivery features that show
the greatest promise for improving activity and participation in people with vestibulopathy (Aim 3). Dr. Klatt’s is
plan to develop effective interventions to enhance current vestibular rehabilitation addresses the NCMRR
research priorities to mitigate acquisition of secondary conditions by using a multimodal approach to promote
vestibular plasticity and sensorimotor function. The proposed training will be the foundation for a future R01
application examining the efficacy of the e...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10420139
- **Project number:** 1K23DC020215-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH
- **Principal Investigator:** Brooke Klatt
- **Activity code:** K23 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $116,536
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-04-01 → 2027-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10420139

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10420139, Activity and Participation in Vestibulopathy (1K23DC020215-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10420139. Licensed CC0.

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