Vestibular Function Tests ID Vestibular Migraine Versus Meniere Disease

FRIDAY, July 7, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Vestibular symptoms and results from vestibular function tests may differentiate between vestibular migraine (VM) and Meniere disease (MD), according to a study published in the July/August issue of the Brazilian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology.

Yuexia Wu, from the First Hospital of Hebei Medical University in Shijiazhuang, China, and colleagues compared the clinical characteristics and vestibular function test results between VM (71 patients) and MD patients (31 patients).

The researchers found that most VM patients (64.0 percent) experienced spontaneous internal vertigo, while most MD patients (66.7 percent) experienced spontaneous external vertigo. More severe vestibular symptoms and autonomic responses were seen in MD patients versus VM patients during attacks. In VM patients, the nystagmus intensity of caloric test (CT)-induced was greater than in MD patients and more VM patients had CT intolerance and central positional nystagmus versus MD patients. More MD patients had CT(+) and video head impulse test (vHIT) saccades wave versus VM patients. Furthermore, in MD patients, the nonelicitation rate of cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) was higher and the ocular VEMP amplitudes were lower versus VM patients.

"The diverse nature of vestibular symptoms (especially internal vertigo), history of motion sickness and CT intolerance may provide clues to the diagnosis of VM, whereas spontaneous external vertigo, CT(+) with vHIT(−), and the presence of saccades may provide clues to the diagnosis of MD," the authors write.

Abstract/Full Text