Dong-Han Lee, Hong Ju Park, Kyu-Sung Kim, Hyun Ji Kim, Jae-Yong Byun, Min-Beom Kim, Minbum Kim, Myung-Whan Suh, Jae-Hyun Seo, Jong Dae Lee, Eun-Ju Jeon, Myung Hoon Yoo, Seok Min Hong, Sung-Kwang Hong, Hyo-Jeong Lee, Jung Woo Lee, Se-Joon Oh, Hyun Ah Kim, Hyung Lee, Eek-Sung Lee, Eun-Jin Kwon, Seong-Hae Jeong, Jeong-Yoon Choi, Chang-Hee Kim
Res Vestib Sci. 2024;23(2):37-45. Published online June 14, 2024
Objectives The aim of this study is to categorize headaches associated with definite Menière’s disease (MD) according to diagnostic criteria, to determine their prevalence, and to investigate the preferred medication across participating centers.
Methods Patients diagnosed with definite MD at 17 university hospitals in otolaryngology or neurology departments in Korea between January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021 were retrospectively included. Data on the presence of accompanying vestibular migraine (VM), migraine or non-migraine headaches, and clinical information were collected. A survey was conducted to assess preferences for treatment drugs for vertigo and headache control in MD patients with headache.
Results A total of 435 definite MD patients were included, with a mean age of 57.0±14.9 years. Among them, 135 (31.0%) had accompanying headaches, of whom 48 (11.0% of all definite MD patients) could be diagnosed with VM. The prevalence of comorbid VM (definite and probable) was significantly higher in females (41 of 288, 14.2%) than in males (7 of 147, 4.8%) (p<0.05). There was no significant difference in the prevalence of comorbid VM between unilateral and bilateral MD patients (10.8% and 13.6%, respectively) (p > 0.05). Benzodiazepines, antihistamines, and antiemetics were mainly preferred for acute vertigo control, while nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, acetaminophen, and triptans were preferred for acute headache control, and topiramate, propranolol, and calcium channel blockers were mainly preferred for headache prevention.
Conclusions VM is not uncommon in patients with definite MD in Korea. Further research is needed to understand the differences in headache prevalence and preferred medications across different centers.
Vestibular migraine (VM) is a variant of migraine resulting in vestibular symptoms in addition to symptoms typical of migraine. However, without a biomarker or a complete understanding of the pathophysiology, VM remains underrecognized and underdiagnosed. Therefore, the diagnosis of VM is still challenging. Meanwhile, VM should be clearly differentiated from other similar diseases. Here, we highlight these challenges, discuss common vestibular symptoms and clinical presentations in VM, and review the current aspects of its clinical diagnosis and evaluation. The concepts related to the treatment of VM are also discussed.
Objectives Video head impulse test (vHIT) can evaluate function of the vestibuloocular reflex for high frequency range of head rotation. We aimed to characterize the abnormal patterns of canal dysfunction by vHIT in vestibular migraine (VM) and evaluate the relationship between the presence of canal dysfunction and symptomatic improvement.
Methods Eighty-seven patients with VM were included. Abnormality of vHIT at the initial examination was determined by the vHIT gain and the degrees of the corrective saccades at each canal and each side. The relationship between the abnormal patterns and the symptomatic improvement (no need for preventive medication) after modification of life styles and preventive medications for 1, 3, and 6 months was evaluated.
Results Abnormal vHIT of the lateral canal was 13.8% when determined by the gain criteria and 31.0% when based on both gain and corrective saccade, regardless of the side. Abnormal vHIT of the superior and posterior canals were 18.4% and 27.6%, regardless of the side. Abnormal vHIT at any canal and side was observed in 47%. Patients showed symptomatic improvement in 29.9%, 71.3%, and 88.5% after modification of life styles and preventive medications for 1, 3, and 6 months. Abnormal vHIT results of canals were significantly related to the poor response to preventive mediations.
Conclusions Prolonged preventive medication was required for symptomatic improvement in VM patients when vHIT results of any canals were abnormal, suggesting that peripheral vestibular abnormality is closely related to the pathophysiology of vestibular migraine.
Vestibular migraine and Menière’s disease have similar clinical features which are recurrent dizziness or auditory symptoms, so it is challengeable to establish the correct diagnosis. Herein, a 31-year-old male and a 56-year-old female showed recurrent dizziness with auditory symptoms and suffered from vestibular migraine. They met the diagnostic criteria for vestibular migraine, but the Menière’s diagnostic criteria were not satisfied as there was no hearing loss. Delayed intravenous gadolinium enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of the inner ear was taken to find out of correlation of the inner ear and revealed endolymphatic hydrops. This case can improve the understanding of the pathophysiology of a vestibular migraine associated Menière’s disease.
Citations
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Functional and Molecular Markers for Hearing Loss and Vertigo Attacks in Meniere’s Disease Chao-Hui Yang, Ming-Yu Yang, Chung-Feng Hwang, Kuang-Hsu Lien International Journal of Molecular Sciences.2023; 24(3): 2504. CrossRef
Objectives Pathophysiology of vestibular migraine (VM) is still controversial. Vertigo may act as a trigger for migraine or there might other mechanisms which cause migraine and dizziness. VM patients have headaches and dizziness simultaneously or sequentially. Therefore, we hypothesized that the sequence of symptoms might suggest different mechanisms and compared the results of vestibular function tests (VFTs) according to chronological order of headache and vertigo.
Methods Forty-two patients with VM were included. They were divided into three subgroups according to the chronological orders of headache and vertigo, and the results of VFTs and the symptomatic improvement were compared between each group.
Results Dizziness appeared first in 15 patients (35.7%), both symptoms appeared simultaneously in 20 patients (47.6%), and headaches appeared first in 7 (16.7%). There were no significant differences in symptom duration among the groups. Fourteen (33.3%) showed abnormal caloric results, 7 (16.7%) in head impulse test, 16 (38.1%, vestibular score) and 19 (45.2%, composite score) in sensory organizing test, and 13 (31.0%) in vestibular evoked myogenic potential test. Abnormal rate of the caloric test in the simultaneous group was significantly lower than those of the other two groups. Nineteen (45.2%) showed complete remission in 3 months after preventive medication with no significant difference between each group.
Conclusions VM patients whose vertigo occurred with headache simultaneously showed lower incidence of caloric abnormality, suggesting that they have abnormality in central vestibular system rather than peripheral vestibular organs.
Vertigo, dizziness, and disequilibrium are common symptoms following concussion or traumatic brain injury. Dizziness and vertigo may be the result of trauma to the peripheral vestibular system or the central nervous system, or, in some cases, may be due to anxiety, depression, or posttraumatic stress disorder; these mechanisms are not mutually exclusive. While most peripheral vestibular disorders can be identified by testing and examination, those without inner ear causes that have persisting complaints of dizziness and motion sickness are more difficult to understand and to manage. Some of these patients exhibit features compatible with vestibular migraine and may be treated successfully with migraine preventative medications. This paper reviews the neurological causes of persisting dizziness, the possible mechanisms, and the pathophysiology, as a framework for patient management and for future research.
Objectives The purpose of this study is to investigate characteristics of nystagmus during attacks of vestibular migraine (VM), and to find a distinct clinical feature compared to other migraine and peripheral vestibular disorders.
Methods This study is a retrospective chart review of 82 patients satisfied with VM criteria, which is formulated by the new Bárány Society. Spontaneous and positional nystagmus provoked by various head positions were examined with video-nystagmography in all patients. Bithermal caloric test and cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential test (cVEMP) were also performed. The direction and peak slow-phase velocity (SPV) of nystagmus, unilateral caloric weakness and interaural difference of cVEMP were analyzed. Control groups were lesion side in acute VN for nystagmus results and healthy side in the patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo of posterior semicircular canal for caloric and cVEMP results. Chi-square test and Mann-Whitney U-test were used for statistical analysis.
Results During the acute attack, nystagmus was seen in 71.9% (59 of 82) of patients. Horizontal nystagmus was the predominant type. Peak SPV in VM patients was much slower than in the control group (2.37±1.73 °/sec vs. 17.05±12.69 °/sec, p<0.0001). There was no significant difference on the result of both caloric and cVEMP test, compared to those of control groups.
Conclusion Nystagmus with horizontal directions and low SPV was dominant form in the attack of VM. Close observation of nystagmus can be helpful to make a correct diagnosis and to understand the pathomechanism of vertigo in VM.
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Vestibular Migraine: A Recent Update on Diagnosis and Treatment Young Seo Kim, Hak Seung Lee Research in Vestibular Science.2022; 21(3): 67. CrossRef
Headache is a most common complaint in neurological outpatient clinic. It has diverse underlying causes and numerous patterns of presentation. All headaches can be divided into primary and secondary headaches. More than ninety percent of headaches seen in clinical practice are due to primary headaches-most of them are tension type headache or migraine-where there are no confirmatory tests. A comprehensive history taking is critical for the correct diagnosis. Headache history taking is an art that needs constant practice. This review aims to discuss the way to go about taking a quick and correct history in headache patients.
Objective: There have been several efforts to elucidate the pathophysiology of the
vestibular migraine (VM). But, there is no consistent result. This study was to identify
the possible pathophysiology of VM by comparing vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) parameters
between VM, and the tension type headache (TTH) patients. In addition, we
compared VOR parameters between ictal and interictal period in the VM group.
Methods Seventy eight patients were included: 44 having VM and 34 TTH. Three
parameters (gain, asymmetry, and phase) of the horizontal VOR rotating at 60 degrees
were measured. In 10 VM patients VOR parameters were obtained twice sequentially
first in the ictal and second in the interictal period.
Results Although the average of the VOR gain in VM group was lower than that
of TTH group but there was no statistical significance. An asymmetry of the VOR
was significantly higher in VM group. There were various changes in other VOR
parameters between ictal and interictal periods with no consistent trends.
Conclusion We could deduce that VM patients might have subclinical vestibular
dysfunction from the reduced gain and increased asymmetry of the VOR in the interictal
period. Dynamic changes of the VOR in the ictal period could be responsible for
dizziness in VM patients, which are caused by the pathological alteration of the
physiologic plasticity of the VOR.
Background and Objectives: It is suggested that some patients with benign paroxysmal vertigo of childhood (BPVC) go on to develop migraine. However, neither the natural course nor the clinical features of BPVC have been determined, and therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics and the natural course of BPVC. Materials and Methods: During the period January 2002 to December 2009, we reviewed the clinical records of 58 patients diagnosed with BPVC. All patients were approached by telephone and using a questionnaire. The clinical characteristics of vertigo, such as sex and age distribution, duration and frequency of vertigo, associated symptoms, development of migraine, and neurologic abnormalities, were analyzed. Results: Mean follow- up duration was 73.2 months (range, 31-119 months). Patients had a mean age at onset of 11.8 years and a mean duration of 6.1 years. An obvious female predilection was found, and 40% of BPVC developed to migraine had a family history of migraine. Of the 32 patients, symptoms resolved in 68.7% but were unchanged in five patients (15.6%). BPVC developed to migraine in five patients (15.6%). Conclusion: This study suggests that vertigo spontaneously resolves in the majority of cases. However, the incidence of development to migraine in the BPVC patients is higher than that in general population.
Although vestibular migraine is considered to be the most common cause of non-positional recurrent vertigo, well designed clinical trials for the treatment of vestibular migraine are not yet available. Management includes dietary and lifestyle modifications and medications. Since treatment for vestibular migraine generally follows the recommended treatment of migraine, most drugs are also used for the prevention of migraine. In this review, preventive treatment with beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, antiepileptic drugs, antidepressants, acetazolamide and triptans are described. Nonpharmacological management such as diet, sleep and avoidance of triggers are also recommended for vestibular migraine.
Vestibular migraine (VM) is an increasingly recognized cause of episodic recurrent vertigo. However, the pathophysiology of VM is still a matter of speculation. An understanding of the relationship between migraine and the vestibular system increases knowledge of the pathogenesis of both migraine and vertigo. The pathophysiology of VM has been known to be related to cortical spreading depression, neurotransmitters (i.e., serotonin, noradrenaline, dopamine, calcitonin gene-related peptide) and calcium ion channel disorder. Moreover, VM is related with Meniere's disease, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, motion sickness, cerebellar dysfunction, or comorbid psychotic disorder. This review refines recently proposed pathophysiological concept for VM and relationships between migraine and other related disorders.
Background and Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine the localizations of β1- and β2-adrenergic receptors (ARs) in rat vestibular nuclei by immunohistochemical staining procedure.
Materials and Methods: Twelve male Sprague- Dawley rats were used in this study. Primary antibodies for the β1- and β2-ARs were used. The sections were treated with a biotinylated goat anti-rabbit antibody. The sections were then incubated in avidin-biotin-peroxidase reagent and processed with immunoperoxidase using 3.3’-diaminobenzidine tetrahydrochloride.
Results: β1-AR and β2-AR immunopositive neurons were found to be distributed throughout the four major vestibular nuclei. Both receptors were primarily detected in neuronal somata and their proximal dendrites. β1-AR and β2-AR were moderately expressed in the superior vestibular nucleus, lateral vestibular nucleus, medial vestibular nucleus, and spinal vestibular nucleus.
Conclusion: The present study demonstrates, for the first time, that β1-AR and β2-AR receptors are localized in rat vestibular nuclei. Furthermore, this study may provide additional speculation into the role of ARs during vestibular signal processing. Further studies are needed to clarify the roles played by β1-ARs and β2-ARs through physiologic and functional studies.
Migrainous vertigo is one of common recurrent vestibular disorders. Because the diagnostic criteria have not been yet settled internationally, we have a difficulty in both diagnosis and research in migraineurs with vertigo. Literature about the diagnostic criteria of migrainous vertigo and its differential diagnosis were reviewed. Until now, the criteria proposed by Neuhauser et al. is regarded as most adequate in diagnosis of migrainous vertigo. Differential diagnosis of migrainous vertigo should be guided by distinction of vestibular symptoms and nonvestibular dizziness and consider the common causes of recurrent vertigo. Just like migraine itself, migrainous vertigo is diagnosed on the basis of history and exclusion of other vestibular disorders mimicking migrainous vertigo. Therefore, delicate history taking is the most important in diagnosis and management of patients with migrainous vertigo.
Background and Objectives: Nitroglycerin (NTG), a donor of nitric oxide, is known to provoke migraine attacks in patients with migraine. However, this effect was not explored in patients with benign recurrent vertigo (BRV). To infer the mechanism of BRV, we evaluated provocative effects of NTG in patients with vestibular migraine (VM) and BRV compared with normal controls. Materials and Methods: Thirteen patients with recurrent vertigo, 8 with VM and 5 with BRV, and 5 healthy controls received intravenous infusion of 0.5 μg/kg/min NTG over 20 minutes. Headache intensity (visual analog scale) and associated symptoms were recorded at baseline and every 10 minutes for an hour. And the subjects were also asked to complete a headache diary every hour for another 12 hours. Results: In contrast to normal controls (2/5, 40%, p=0.035) and the patients with BRV (1/5, 20%, p=0.007), all patients with VM (8/8, 100%) had migraine attacks after NTG injection. However, there was no difference in the proportion of the patients with migraine attacks after NTG injection between normal controls and the patients with BRV. Conclusion: In contrast to the patients with VM, patients with BRV are not sensitive to nitric oxide. These results suggest that the pathophysiology of BRV may be different from that of VM.