Dizziness handicap and clinical characteristics of posterior and lateral canal BPPV

Analysis of influencing factors of residual dizziness after repositioning of horizontal semicircular canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo

BACKGROUND

Horizontal semicircular canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo(HSC-BPPV) is the second most common type of BPPV. It is difficult to diagnose and treat, which has a serious impact on the prognosis of patients.

OBJECTIVES

To study the clinical features of HSC-BPPV and the influencing factors of residual dizziness (RD).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The clinical data of 358 patients with BPPV were retrospectively collected. The differences between HSC-BPPV and posterior semicircular canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (PSC-BPPV) were compared, and the influencing factors of RD after HSC-BPPV repositioning were analyzed.

RESULTS

① Compared with PSC-BPPV, HSC-BPPV had a lower success rate of first repositioning (64.7 vs. 75.0%), a higher incidence of RD (57.3 vs. 43.8%), and a higher DHI score (40.0 vs. 34.0), and the differences were statistically significant (p < .05). ② Logistic regression analysis showed that age ≥60 years, secondary, DHI score, successful first repositioning were the influencing factors for the development of RD after HSC-BPPV repositioning (p < .05).

CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE

The diagnosis and treatment of HSC-BPPV is difficult, and RD is prone to occur. Clinicians need to strengthen the training of HSC-BPPV diagnosis and treatment to reduce the occurrence and progression of RD.

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo: A case report in which four wrongs made a right

Repositioning maneuvers for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) designed to induce otoconial movement in one canal can trigger and sometimes unwittingly treat BPPV in other canals. Patients with BPPV are best managed by precisely diagnosing the canal variant and using correctly performed, standardized testing and treatment maneuvers.

An Evaluation of the Vestibular System in Individuals Aged 40-65 Years with Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Objectives

Vestibular dysfunction occasionally accompanies sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) due to anatomical proximity of cochlea and vestibule. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the vestibular system objectively and subjectively in 40-to 65-year-old individuals with and without SNHL.

Methods

This study included participants of both sexes, between the ages of 40 and 65 years old. There were 31 participants with SNHL and 31 control participants. First of all, participants were grouped in the control and SNHL groups based on the results of their hearing test, which included audiometry and immitance evaluation. Subsequently, for vestibular evaluation, each participant was evaluated subjective with "Dizziness Handicap Inventory" (DHI) as well as with objective tests battery that included positional tests with videonystagmogrophy (VNG) and vestibuloocular reflex (VOR) assessment using the vestibular head impulse test (vHIT).

Results

Peripheral nystagmus was found to be significantly higher in patients with SNHL based on the head shake and positional tests (p<0.05). There was a positive correlation between DHI scores and positional test findings of the participants with SNHL (p<0.05). When the VHIT VOR gain values were compared between groups, there was no significant difference (p<0.05).

Conclusion

In our study, vestibular involvement was frequently observed in 40- to 65-year-old individuals with SNHL. Therefore, vestibular evaluation should be considered along with the assessment of hearing in individuals with SNHL who are over 40 years old.

Do single-session Epley maneuvers treat benign paroxysmal positional vertigo?

BACKGROUND

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is the most common peripheral vestibular condition characterized by short-term vertigo attacks that significantly affect quality of life.

OBJECTIVES

Examine how well a single Epley maneuver worked in an outpatient setting for people with posterior canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (PC-BPPV) and whether they needed a second Dix-Hallpike maneuver.

DESIGN

Prospective.

SETTINGS

Otorhinolaryngology department of a tertiary care center.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Sociodemographic data, body mass index (BMI), and systemic disease history of 75 patients diagnosed with PC-BPPV were recorded, and their relationship with success rates after the modified Epley maneuver was analyzed.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Detect cases that could not be repositioned with the diagnostic control Dix-Hallpike test performed 20 minutes after the modified Epley reposition maneuver in the same session in PC-BPPV patients.

SAMPLE SIZE

75.

RESULTS

Of the 75 patients, 31 were male (41.3%), 44 female (58.6%) with a mean (standard deviation) age of 58.6 (15.9) years age, 54.6% had one or more chronic diseases. BMI was 30 mg/kg2 and above in 31 patients (41.3%). The modified Epley maneuver was successful in 77.3%. No significant relationship was found between additional diseases or BMI in the patient group in whom the maneuver was unsuccessful.

CONCLUSION

The success rates of repositioning maneuvers in treating patients diagnosed with PC-BPPV are high. However, more than a single maneuver is required in some resistant patients. Second diagnostic and repositioning maneuvers performed in the same session will reduce multiple hospital admissions. While it is helpful to repeat the maneuver in the patient group where it was unsuccessful, other factors causing the failure should be investigated.

LIMITATIONS

Lack of follow-up results of patients after 7-10 days.

Evaluation of the reliability and validity of the upright head roll test for lateral semicircular canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo

BACKGROUND

The upright head roll test (UHRT) is a recently introduced diagnostic maneuver for lateral semicircular canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (LSC-BPPV).

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate the reliability and validity of the UHRT.

METHODS

Two separate studies were conducted. Study 1 analyzed 827 results of videonystagmography (VNG) to assess UHRT reliability, and Study 2 analyzed 130 LSC-BPPV cases to evaluate UHRT validity.

RESULTS

The inter-test reliability between UHRT and the supine head roll test (SHRT) showed substantial agreement (Cohen's kappa = 0.753) in direction-changing positional nystagmus (DCPN) and almost perfect agreement (Cohen's kappa = 0.836) in distinguishing the direction of DCPN. The validity assessment of UHRT showed high accuracy in diagnosing LSC-BPPV (80.0%) and in differentiating the variant types (74.6%). UHRT was highly accurate in diagnosing the canalolithiasis type in LSC-BPPV patients (Cohen's kappa = 0.835); however, it showed only moderate accuracy in diagnosing the cupulolithiasis type (Cohen's kappa = 0.415). The intensity of nystagmus in UHRT was relatively weaker than that in SHRT (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

UHRT is a reliable test for diagnosing LSC-BPPV and distinguishing subtypes. However, UHRT has a limitation in discriminating the affected side owing to a weaker intensity of nystagmus than SHRT.

Treatment efficacy of repositioning maneuvers in multiple canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) involving the posterior canal is more common than other canals; however, simultaneous involvement of multiple canals can be seen up to 20% of all BPPV cases. The diagnosis and management of multiple canal BPPV can be quite challenging due to the complexity of findings. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed at unveiling the most effective repositioning strategy for the treatment of multiple canal BPPV.

Methods

A literature search through PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases was conducted using search terms such as BPPV, multiple canals, bilateral BPPV, repositioning maneuvers etc. After duplicate removal, the retained articles underwent various stages of elimination by two independent reviewers, and a third reviewer resolved the discrepancy between them.

Results

A total of 22 articles were included in the systematic review. These publications documented 5,196 patients diagnosed with BPPV, of which 513 had multiple canal BPPV. Of 295 individuals with multiple canal BPPV, 58.9% were effectively treated in 1 session, whereas 18.3 and 4.4% achieved a symptom-free state after two and three sessions, respectively. Failure of treatment using repositioning maneuvers was found in 18.4%.

Possible implications

This study offers insight into the real world of BPPV management in single and multiple canal BPPV. It is evident that repositioning maneuvers provide rapid and long-lasting relief of BPPV in most single canal BPPV patients; however, multiple canal BPPV often requires repeated treatment, and the risk of recurrence is higher in this variety than the single canal BPPV.

Prevalence of Horizontal Canal Variant in 3,975 Patients With Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo: A Cross-sectional Study

Background and Objectives

Current understanding based on older studies is that pc-BPPV is far more common than hc-BPPV. Such studies are limited by small sample sizes, and often the supine roll test for hc-BPPV is not performed. To better estimate the prevalence of hc-BPPV, we studied a large cross-section of patients with VOG-diagnosed BPPV.

Methods

Using a cross-sectional study of patients with BPPV, we investigated patients referred to NeuroEquilibrium specialty clinics throughout India between January 1, 2021, and December 31, 2021. All patients were evaluated with video oculography (VOG) during positional tests, and all diagnoses were confirmed by a neurotologist and neurologist.

Results

Of 3,975 patients with VOG-confirmed and specialist-diagnosed BPPV (median age, 51 years; 56.6% women), pc-BPPV accounted for 1,901 (47.8%), hc-BPPV was seen in 1,842 (46.3%), and anterior canal BPPV was found in 28 (0.7%) patients.

Discussion

This study found that hc-BPPV is far more common than previously reported. It is important to perform the supine roll test in addition to the Dix-Hallpike in all patients suspected with BPPV. Better training to diagnose patients with BPPV and to accurately recognize the nystagmus pattern of hc-BPPV should be a priority.

Efficacy of the Head Rotation Test With Bowing for the Lateral Canal Benign Paroxysmal Positional vertigo

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the efficacy of the head rotation test with bowing (B-HRT) in the sitting position in diagnosing lateral semicircular canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (LSC-BPPV).

METHODS

The efficacy outcomes of lateralization of 25 patients with LSC-BPPV were prospectively evaluated using B-HRT. Traditional head toration in the supine position (S-HRT) and the bow and lean test were also assessed for comparative effectiveness.

RESULTS

Direction-changing nystagmus was detected in all patients with LSC-BPPV (100%) using B-HRT. The nystagmus direction (geotropic or apogeotropic) determined by B-HRT was consistent with that determined by S-HRT with a perfect level of agreement (Cohen κ = 1.0, p < 0.001**). In 76.0% of the cases, the determination of the affected ear was concordant between B-HRT and S-HRT (Cohen κ = 0.409, p = 0.037*). The concordance rate between B-HRT and bow and lean test showed a fair level of agreement (68.0%; Cohen κ = 0.286, p = 0.126) with no statistical significance. On comparing the peak slow-phase velocity (SPV), SPVs of positional nystagmus on the stronger side and weaker side did not differ statistically significantly between S-HRT and B-HRT. In 12 of the 25 cases, in which the peak SPV asymmetry was determined as less than 30% by S-HRT (average, 11.00 ± 6.87%), the asymmetry determined by B-HRT (average, 47.31 ± 34.78%) was significantly higher, facilitating lesion identification by performing B-HRT together ( p = 0.001*).

CONCLUSION

B-HRT in the sitting position identified direction-changing nystagmus in LSC-BPPV. B-HRT is helpful in facilitating the diagnosis of LSC-BPPV in the sitting position and determination of the affected ears in cases with nonprominent differences in bilateral nystagmus intensity according to S-HRT.

Guidelines for reasonable and appropriate care in the emergency department 3 (GRACE-3): Acute dizziness and vertigo in the emergency department

This third Guideline for Reasonable and Appropriate Care in the Emergency Department (GRACE-3) from the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine is on the topic adult patients with acute dizziness and vertigo in the emergency department (ED). A multidisciplinary guideline panel applied the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach to assess the certainty of evidence and strength of recommendations regarding five questions for adult ED patients with acute dizziness of less than 2 weeks' duration. The intended population is adults presenting to the ED with acute dizziness or vertigo. The panel derived 15 evidence-based recommendations based on the timing and triggers of the dizziness but recognizes that alternative diagnostic approaches exist, such as the STANDING protocol and nystagmus examination in combination with gait unsteadiness or the presence of vascular risk factors. As an overarching recommendation, (1) emergency clinicians should receive training in bedside physical examination techniques for patients with the acute vestibular syndrome (AVS; HINTS) and the diagnostic and therapeutic maneuvers for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV; Dix-Hallpike test and Epley maneuver). To help distinguish central from peripheral causes in patients with the AVS, we recommend: (2) use HINTS (for clinicians trained in its use) in patients with nystagmus, (3) use finger rub to further aid in excluding stroke in patients with nystagmus, (4) use severity of gait unsteadiness in patients without nystagmus, (5) do not use brain computed tomography (CT), (6) do not use routine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a first-line test if a clinician trained in HINTS is available, and (7) use MRI as a confirmatory test in patients with central or equivocal HINTS examinations. In patients with the spontaneous episodic vestibular syndrome: (8) search for symptoms or signs of cerebral ischemia, (9) do not use CT, and (10) use CT angiography or MRI angiography if there is concern for transient ischemic attack. In patients with the triggered (positional) episodic vestibular syndrome, (11) use the Dix-Hallpike test to diagnose posterior canal BPPV (pc-BPPV), (12) do not use CT, and (13) do not use MRI routinely, unless atypical clinical features are present. In patients diagnosed with vestibular neuritis, (14) consider short-term steroids as a treatment option. In patients diagnosed with pc-BPPV, (15) treat with the Epley maneuver. It is clear that as of 2023, when applied in routine practice by emergency clinicians without special training, HINTS testing is inaccurate, partly due to use in the wrong patients and partly due to issues with its interpretation. Most emergency physicians have not received training in use of HINTS. As such, it is not standard of care, either in the legal sense of that term ("what the average physician would do in similar circumstances") or in the common parlance sense ("the standard action typically used by physicians in routine practice").

Incidence of idiopathic benign paroxysmal positional vertigo subtype by hospital visit type: experience of a single tertiary referral centre

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the incidence of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo subtype by hospital visit type (i.e. out-patient department vs emergency room), in a single tertiary referral centre.

METHODS

A total of 772 consecutive patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo were included. Using head-roll and Dix-Hallpike tests, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo subtype was determined as canalolithiasis posterior semicircular canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, geotropic horizontal semicircular canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo or apogeotropic benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.

RESULTS

The posterior semicircular canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo patients who were evaluated via the out-patient department outnumbered those evaluated via the emergency room, while those with horizontal semicircular canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo who were evaluated via the emergency room outnumbered those evaluated via the out-patient department.

CONCLUSION

A significantly higher proportion of patients who visited the emergency room had horizontal semicircular canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo than posterior semicircular canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. These results suggest that the true incidence of horizontal semicircular canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo might be higher than previously reported.

Adding Kinetic Energy Does Not Further Improve Treatment Outcomes With a Mechanical Reposition Chair: A Randomized Controlled Trial

OBJECTIVE

To test if the addition of abrupt deaccelerations (kinetic energy) during treatment with a mechanical repositional chair (MRC) provides improved treatment efficacy with treatment of posterior benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV).

STUDY DESIGN

Randomized two-armed parallel open-labeled clinical trial.

SETTING

Tertiary referral center.

PATIENTS

Seventy patients diagnosed with posterior canalolithiasis BPPV were included.

INTERVENTIONS

All patients underwent diagnostics and treatment with an MRC. Patients were randomized to either a traditional Epley maneuver or a potentiated version of the Epley maneuver where kinetic energy was applied in five positions with 45-degree turns between each step.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Primary endpoint was the number of treatments needed before complete resolution of both subjective symptoms and objective signs of BPPV within the semicircular canal of interest. Secondary endpoints included the following: 1) number of patients requiring more than 10 treatments, 2) length of treatment in days before treatment(s) were successful, and 3) changes in total Dizziness Handicap Inventory scores before and after treatment.

RESULTS

No significant difference in the number of required treatments between the two treatment arms was found. Approximately three of four subjects were cured after two repositional maneuvers regardless of type of treatment. An equal length of treatment was seen with both groups, and the Dizziness Handicap Inventory scores were significantly lowered after treatment with no significant differences between the two types of treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Both the traditional and the potentiated Epley maneuver are efficient in treatment of canalolithiasis of the posterior semicircular canals with MRC. Addition of kinetic energy with this subgroup of BPPV patients does not seem to add further efficacy to the treatment.

Association between otolin-1 and benign paroxysmal positional vertigo: A meta-analysis

Background

There is increasing research on the potential of inner ear proteins as serum biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of various inner ear diseases. Among them, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is the most common vestibular disease. Notably, otolin-1, an inner ear-specific protein, is detectable in the serum of most patients with BPPV patients. Therefore, we found a need to conduct this meta-analysis to determine the relationship between otolin-1 in serum and BPPV.

Methods

This meta-analysis was conducted by searching PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, and China Network Knowledge Infrastructure databases for the eligible original studies in Chinese or English published between January 2010 and February 2022. Data were collected and pooled by using the mean differences (MDs) corresponding to 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Heterogeneity among these studies was assessed by using I² statistics and the adopted fixed or random-effect mode thereafter. Egger's and Begg's tests were also used to assess the publication bias.

Results

This meta-analysis included six articles with a total of 585 participants. Serum otolin-1 levels were remarkably increased in patients with BPPV as compared to that in healthy controls (MD: 165.38, 95% CI: 110.13-220.64, p < 0.00001). However, Egger's and Begg's tests have indicated no publication bias, and the results were reliable based on the sensitivity analysis.

Conclusion

This meta-analysis indicated that there is a higher serum level of otolin-1 in patients with BPPV than in healthy controls. Therefore, otolin-1 may serve as a biomarker for the onset of BPPV.

Change in Diagnosis of Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo During COVID-19 Pandemic

Purpose

The present study investigated the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV).

Patients and Methods

The medical records of BPPV patients who were evaluated in the outpatient department (OPD) and emergency room (ER) during (435 patients) and before (517 patients) the COVID-19 pandemic were retrospectively reviewed. Dix-Hallpike and supine head-roll tests were used to classify the subtype of BPPV as posterior semicircular canal (PSCC), geotropic lateral semicircular canal (geotropic LSCC), or apogeotropic lateral semicircular canal (apogeotropic LSCC) BPPV.

Results

More patients with PSCC BPPV were diagnosed at the OPD compared with those who were diagnosed at the ER both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, more patients with LSCC BPPV were diagnosed at the ER compared with those who were diagnosed at the OPD during the same periods. The mean time interval between vertigo onset and initial evaluation was remarkably longer during the pandemic in patients with PSCC BPPV.

Conclusion

This study demonstrated that the incidences of BPPV subtypes according to hospital visit type were not significantly different before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Because hospital visits were delayed in patients with PSCC BPPV during the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine or e-health could be suitable alternatives to face-to-face medical care for these patients.

Vestibular Test Results in Patients With Horizontal Canal Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo

Introduction

While the mechanism of posterior canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is widely accepted as canalolithiasis, the pathophysiology of horizontal canal BPPV remains controversial. We seek to analyze vestibular test results of patients with horizontal canal BPPV with ageotropic nystagmus (AHC) and geotropic nystagmus (GHC) in comparison to patients with posterior canal BPPV (PC) to better understand its pathophysiology.

Methods

In a retrospective chart review of adults with BPPV at a tertiary referral balance center, we reviewed the clinical characteristics and compared videonystagmography, caloric, rotary chair, subjective visual vertical (SVV)/ subjective visual horizontal (SVH), and vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) results between groups.

Results

We included 11 AHC and seven GHC patients and randomly selected 20 PC patients as the comparison group. All groups had a high rate of migraine and low rates of diabetes and head trauma, but no difference between groups. Ipsilateral caloric weakness was more prevalent in the GHC group compared to the PC group (p=0.02). One of two AHC patients and both GHC patients who had SVV/SVH testing had abnormal findings. The only AHC patient who had ocular VEMP testing had abnormal results. Additionally, we observed a significant downbeating component to nystagmus (4 deg/sec or greater) exclusively in the AHC group (5/10 patients, p=0.001).

Conclusions

Patients with AHC and GHC have unique vestibular testing results. In particular, only AHC patients showed a downbeating component to their nystagmus, which may suggest utricular dysfunction in the pathophysiology of AHC.

A Comparison of Falls and Dizziness Handicap by Vestibular Diagnosis

PURPOSE

There is a paucity of data that directly compares the falls rate and dizziness handicap of different vestibular diagnoses. The purpose of this study is to compare the falls rate and dizziness handicap of common vestibular diagnoses encountered among a cohort of vestibular patients at a single institution.

METHOD

We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study of patients evaluated for dizziness at a tertiary care center vestibular clinic between August 1, 2017, and March 19, 2019. Vestibular diagnosis, demographic variables, comorbidities, falls status, and Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) were extracted from the medical record for analysis. Associations between vestibular diagnosis and falls history or DHI were evaluated using multivariate logistic and linear regression, respectively.

RESULTS

A total of 283 patients met our inclusion criteria with the following diagnoses: benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV; n = 55), acoustic neuroma (n = 30), Ménière's disease (n = 28), multiple vestibular diagnoses (n = 15), vestibular migraine (n = 135), or vestibular neuritis (n = 20). After adjusting for age, sex, race, medications, and comorbidities, the odds of falling was 2.47 times greater (95% CI [1.08, 6.06], p = .039) and the DHI score was 11.66 points higher (95% CI [4.99, 18.33], p < .001) in those with vestibular migraine compared to those with BPPV. Other diagnoses were comparable to BPPV with respect to odds of falling and dizziness handicap.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with vestibular migraine may suffer an increased risk of falls and dizziness handicap compared to patients with BPPV. Our findings highlight the need for timely evaluation and treatment of all patients with vestibular disease.

Walking stability in patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo: an objective assessment using wearable accelerometers and machine learning

BACKGROUND

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is one of the most common peripheral vestibular disorders leading to balance difficulties and increased fall risks. This study aims to investigate the walking stability of BPPV patients in clinical settings and propose a machine-learning-based classification method for determining the severity of gait disturbances of BPPV.

METHODS

Twenty-seven BPPV outpatients and twenty-seven healthy subjects completed level walking trials at self-preferred speed in clinical settings while wearing two accelerometers on the head and lower trunk, respectively. Temporo-spatial variables and six walking stability related variables [root mean square (RMS), harmonic ratio (HR), gait variability, step/stride regularity, and gait symmetry] derived from the acceleration signals were analyzed. A support vector machine model (SVM) based on the gait variables of BPPV patients were developed to differentiate patients from healthy controls and classify the handicapping effects of dizziness imposed by BPPV.

RESULTS

The results showed that BPPV patients employed a conservative gait and significantly reduced walking stability compared to the healthy controls. Significant different mediolateral HR at the lower trunk and anteroposterior step regularity at the head were found in BPPV patients among mild, moderate, and severe DHI (dizziness handicap inventory) subgroups. SVM classification achieved promising accuracies with area under the curve (AUC) of 0.78, 0.83, 0.85 and 0.96 respectively for differentiating patients from healthy controls and classifying the three stages of DHI subgroups. Study results suggest that the proposed gait analysis that is based on the coupling of wearable accelerometers and machine learning provides an objective approach for assessing gait disturbances and handicapping effects of dizziness imposed by BPPV.

Epley manoeuvre for posterior semicircular canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo in people with multiple sclerosis: protocol of a randomised controlled trial

INTRODUCTION

Vestibular disorders in multiple sclerosis (MS) could have central or peripheral origin. Although the central aetiology is the most expected in MS, peripheral damage is also significant in this disease. The most prevalent effect of vestibular peripheral damage is benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). Impairments of the posterior semicircular canals represent 60%-90% of cases of BPPV. The standard gold treatment for this syndrome is the Epley manoeuvre (EM), the effectiveness of which has been poorly studied in patients with MS. Only one retrospective research study and a case study have reported encouraging results for EM with regard to resolution of posterior semicircular canal BPPV. The aim of this future randomised controlled trial (RCT) is to assess the effectiveness of EM for BPPV in participants with MS compared with a sham manoeuvre.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

The current protocol describes an RCT with two-arm, parallel-group design. Randomisation, concealed allocation and double-blinding will be conducted to reduce possible bias. Participants and evaluators will be blinded to group allocation. At least 80 participants who meet all eligibility criteria will be recruited. Participants will have the EM or sham manoeuvre performed within the experimental or control group, respectively. The primary outcome of the study is changes in the Dix Hallpike test. The secondary outcome will be changes in self-perceived scales: Dizziness Handicap Inventory and Vestibular Disorders Activities of Daily Living Scale. The sample will be evaluated at baseline, immediately after the intervention and 48 hours postintervention.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The study was approved by the Andalusian Review Board and Ethics Committee of Virgen Macarena-Virgen del Rocio Hospitals (ID 0107-N-20, 23 July 2020). The results of the research will be disseminated by the investigators to peer-reviewed journals.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT04578262.

Update on benign paroxysmal positional vertigo

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is the most common cause of vertigo worldwide. This review considers recent advances in the diagnosis and management of BPPV including the use of web-based technology and artificial intelligence as well as the evidence supporting the use of vitamin D supplements for patients with BPPV and subnormal serum vitamin D.

Treatment of Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo with the TRV Reposition Chair

OBJECTIVES

The primary objective of this study was to evaluate how successful the reposition of retractable benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) was when treating patients with the Thomas Richard Vitton (TRV) reposition chair.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This is a prospective clinical trial. A total of 81 BPPV patients who were referred to the tertiary Balance - Dizziness Centre at the Department of Otolaryngology, Head - Neck Surgery and Audiology, Aalborg University Hospital, Denmark were included and analyzed. All the patients were diagnosed and treated with the TRV reposition chair.

RESULTS

The patients were successfully treated after an average of 2.23 (± 1.66 SD) treatments with the TRV reposition chair. There was a significant difference between the number of treatments needed in the single semicircular canal group and the multicanal group. Seventeen (22.6%) of the patients experienced either dislocation of otoconia, relapse, or new onset of BPPV during the trial period. The number of patients with BPPV located to the anterior, lateral, and multiple semicircular canals in this study was significantly higher than that in similar studies. Six patients (7.4%) were classified as treatment failures.

CONCLUSION

We found the TRV reposition chair to be very successful in the diagnostics and treatment of patients with retractable and atypical BPPV. However, 7.4% experienced treatment failure.

How rare is benign paroxysmal positional vertigo in children? A review of 20 cases and their epidemiology

OBJECTIVE

The clinical features and incidence of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) are not well known in pediatric populations. The aim of this study was to describe the clinical characteristics of pediatric BPPV and to estimate the frequency of pediatric BPPV in the general population.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 20 children (6-14 years old) diagnosed with BPPV between 2007 and 2017. The age/sex distribution of BPPV for all ages at our hospital and in the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service-National Patient Sample (HIRA-NPS) database were compared. The annual incidence and proportion of children with BPPV were calculated.

RESULTS

BPPV occurred 1.86 times more frequently in girls than in boys. Nine children (45%) had associated comorbidities, such as inner ear disorders and recent head trauma. The posterior and lateral semicircular canals were most commonly involved (n = 9 for each), and recurrence was observed in two patients (10%). Children younger than 15 years accounted for approximately 1% of all BPPV cases. The annual incidence of BPPV was 171.5/100,000 for all ages and 9.5/100,000 in the pediatric population.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that pediatric BPPV is a relatively uncommon cause of vertigo in children and that the rates of related illness and recurrence are high.