Comparison of Electrocochleography and Video Head Impulse Test findings in Vestibular Migraine and Ménière Disease: A Preliminary Study

Is there a difference in the results of the video head impulse test in patients with a nosological diagnosis of Ménière's Disease and Vestibular Migraine?

PURPOSE

To compare vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) gain values, gain symmetry between the semicircular canals (SCCs), and saccadic parameters in patients with a nosological diagnosis of Ménière's disease (MD) and vestibular migraine (VM).

METHODS

Observational, descriptive, cross-sectional, retrospective study, approved by the Research Ethics Committee, under evaluation report number 4.462.519. The study was based on medical record analysis of individuals who underwent the Video Head Impulse Test (vHIT). The sample included medical records of 33 patients, divided into two groups - G1, 18 patients with a nosological diagnosis of VM; G2, 15 patients with MD. The study collected information on age, sex, nosological diagnosis, symptoms, associated comorbidities, and vHIT results. Student's t-test and the linear regression model statistically analyzed the data. The significance level was set at 0.05 (95%).

RESULTS

Females predominated (75.76%), with a mean age of 50.18 years. There was a predominance of normal VOR gain in the VM group (44.44%) and vestibular hypofunction in the MD group (40%). There was no significant difference between the groups' mean gain per SCC, nor between the groups' right and left SCCs. G1 had a higher percentage of evident saccades and saccadic dispersion.

CONCLUSION

Although there was no significant difference in VOR gain in the vHIT between the groups, there was a predominance of vestibular hypofunction in the MD group and normal results in the VM group.

Click SP/AP Area Ratio Vesrus Tone Burst SP Amplitude to Diagnose Ménière's Disease Using Electrocochleography

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the sensitivity and the specificity of summating potential (SP)/action potential (AP) area under the curve (AUC) ratio by a transtympanic electrode and a click stimulus (TT-CS), SP/AP AUC ratio by an extratympanic electrode and a click stimulus (ET-CS) and SP amplitude value by a transtympanic electrode and tone burst stimulus (TT-TBS) in regard of Ménière's disease (MD) diagnosis. This is the first study that compares SP amplitude value performed by a TT-TBS and the SP/AP AUC ratio performed by a TT-CS.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective comparative study.

SETTINGS

Ninety-five patients met the inclusion criteria for electrocochleography (ECochG) testing in a tertiary care center.

METHODS

The sensitivity and specificity of our different ECochG protocols were calculated in regard of the diagnosis of MD.

RESULTS

The patients' mean age was 54 years old (female predominance). The sensitivity and the specificity of SP/AP area ratio by a TT-CS were 88.5% and 70.0%, respectively. On the other hand, the sensitivity and specificity for the SP amplitude value by a TT-TBS were 60.0% and 55.6%, respectively. SP/AP area ratio by TT-CS was statistically better than SP amplitude value by TT-TBS to detect MD disease (P = .016). However, no difference was identified between SP/AP area ratio by ET-CS and SP amplitude value by a TT-TBS (P = .573).

CONCLUSION

SP/AP area ratio by click stimulation has higher sensitivity and specificity to detect MD compared to SP amplitude value by tone burst stimulation. ECochG would be extremely useful in the diagnosis of MD if we use the SP/AP area ratio (sensitivity: 88.5%); therefore, it changes the bad reputation of ECochG sensitivity using SP/AP amplitude ratio (sensitivity: 51.7%) for the diagnosis of MD.

Focused Update on Migraine and Vertigo Comorbidity

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To provide an update on comorbidity of vestibular symptoms and migraine.

RECENT FINDINGS

Multisensory processing and integration is a key concept for understanding mixed presentation of migraine and vestibular symptoms. Here, we discuss how vestibular migraine should be distinguished from a secondary migraine phenomenon in which migraine symptoms may coincide with or triggered by another vestibular disorder. We also have some updates on the diagnostic criteria of vestibular migraine, its pathophysiology, and common approaches used for its treatment. As a common clinical presentation of migraine and vestibular symptoms, vestibular migraine should be distinguished from a secondary migraine phenomenon, in which migraine symptoms may be triggered by or coincide with another vestibular disorder. Recent experimental evidence suggests vestibular symptoms in vestibular migraine are linked to multisensory mechanisms that control body motion and orientation in space.

Meniere's disease is a manifestation of migraine

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To discuss the theory that Meniere's disease (MD) is a variation of otologic migraine rather than an isolated inner ear condition.

RECENT FINDINGS

In contrast to the approximately 12% of the general population suffering from migraine headaches, 51-60% of patients with MD experience migraine headaches. While pathognomonic for MD, endolymphatic hydrops has also been identified in patients with vestibular migraine. Treatment with the integrative neurosensory rehabilitation approach (diet and lifestyle changes, magnesium and riboflavin supplementation, and when needed, prophylactic medication) to treat the underlying migraine process has been highly effective in patients with MD.

SUMMARY

MD can be understood as a manifestation of migraine such that patients with MD can be effectively treated with migraine therapies.

Acute pneumolabyrinth: a rare complication after cochlear implantation in a patient with obstructive sleep apnoea on CPAP therapy

Pneumolabyrinth is a condition characterised by the presence of air within the inner ear and is a rare complication after cochlear implant surgery. One of the causes of pneumolabyrinth may be the increase in pressure in the middle ear. The use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is an effective treatment strategy for obstructive sleep apnoea. According to a recent study, the use of CPAP should be delayed by 1 or 2 weeks in subjects undergoing middle ear surgery; however, there is currently no indication to delay the CPAP in subjects undergoing cochlear implant surgery. We report the case of a patient on CPAP who underwent left cochlear implantation and, in the early postoperative period, reported severe vertigo and tinnitus. Cone-beam CT of the temporal bone revealed the presence of pneumolabyrynth. We believe that the use of CPAP should be delayed in subjects undergoing cochlear implantation to avoid the development of acute pneumolabyrinth.

Vestibular migraine or Meniere's disease: a diagnostic dilemma

Meniere's disease (MD) represents one of the vertigo disorders characterized by triad symptoms (recurrent vertigo, fluctuating hearing loss, tinnitus or ear fullness). The diagnosis of MD relies on the accurate and detailed taking of medical history, and the differentiation between MD and vestibular migraine (VM) is of critical importance from the perspective of the treatment efficacy. VM is a highly prevalent vertigo condition and its typical symptoms (headache, vestibular symptoms, cochlear symptoms) mimic those of MD. Furthermore, the misdiagnosis in MD and VM could lead to VM patients mistakenly receiving the traumatic treatment protocol designed for MD, and sustaining unnecessary damage to the inner ear. Fortunately, thanks to the advances in examination technologies, the barriers to their differentiation are being gradually removed. These advances enhance the diagnostic accuracy of vertigo diseases, especially VM and MD. This review focused on the differentiation of VM and MD, with an attempt to synthesize existing data on the relevant battery of differentiation diagnosis (covering core symptoms, auxiliary tests [audiometry, vestibular tests, endolymphatic hydrops tests]) and longitudinal follow-up. Since the two illnesses are overlapped in all aspects, no single test is sufficiently specific on its own, however, patterns containing all or at least some features boost specificity.

Functional and Molecular Markers for Hearing Loss and Vertigo Attacks in Meniere's Disease

Meniere's disease (MD) is one of the most complicated diseases in the otologic clinic. The complexity of MD is partially due to the multifactorial etiological mechanisms and the heterogenous symptoms, including episodic vertigo, hearing loss, aural fullness and tinnitus. As a result, the diagnosis of MD and differentiating MD from other diseases with similar symptoms, such as vestibular migraine (VM), is challenging. In addition, it is difficult to predict the progression of hearing loss and the frequency of vertigo attacks. Detailed studies have revealed that functional markers, such as pure tone audiometry (PTA), electrocochleography (ECochG), vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP), caloric test, video head impulse test (vHIT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) could help to evaluate MD with different hearing levels and frequency of vertigo attacks. Investigations of molecular markers such as autoimmunity, inflammation, protein signatures, vasopressin and circadian clock genes in MD are still underway. This review will summarize these functional and molecular markers, address how these markers are associated with hearing loss and vertigo attacks in MD, and analyze the results of the markers between MD and VM.

Evaluation of video head impulse test during vertiginous attack in vestibular migraine

Objective

The aim of this study is to evaluate vestibular functions with video head impulse test (VHIT) and to understand the value of VHIT in differential diagnosis in patients with vestibular migraine (VM) during dizziness attack.

Materials and methods

Two groups were enrolled in this study. The first consisted of 84 vestibular migraine patients, and second group of 74 healthy subjects. VHIT was applied to patients with VM during vertigo attack and the results were compared with the VHIT values applied to subjects in the control group.

Results

The mean vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) in all semicircular canals in the VM group was lower than healthy individuals, but the results were not statistically significant. Refixation saccades were found in 52.3% of VM patients and in 10.2% of healthy individuals.

Conclusions

When patients with VM were evaluated with VHIT during vertiginous attack, VOR gain values were not different from healthy individuals, but the number of catch-up saccades were higher in VM patients, which indicates peripheral vestibular involvement. For differential diagnosis in patients with VM, vestibular tests should be performed during the vertigo attack. When evaluating VHIT results, the presence of refixation saccades should also be evaluated.

Update on diagnosis and differential diagnosis of vestibular migraine

BACKGROUND

Vestibular migraine (VM) is considered the most common cause of spontaneous episodic vertigo and the second most common cause of vertigo. However, without a biomarker or a complete understanding of the pathophysiology, VM remains underrecognized and underdiagnosed. Therefore, definite diagnostic criteria are urgently needed. Meanwhile, VM should be clearly differentiated from other similar diseases. This paper may help clinicians improve the diagnostic rate of VM and reduce the rate of misdiagnosis. A PubMed search was performed using the following terms: vestibular migraine, migraine-associated vertigo/dizziness, migraine-related vertigo, migraine-related vestibulopathy, benign recurrent vertigo, vertiginous migraine, migraine, headache, vertigo, dizziness, and diagnosis. This paper also summarizes the diagnostic criteria and differential diagnoses of VM. The diagnosis of VM is based on the symptoms, degree, frequency, and duration of the vestibular episodes, a history of migraine, and the temporal association of migraine symptoms with vestibular episodes in at least 50% of cases, while ruling out what may be due to other reasons. In addition to vestibular symptoms and migraine, transient auditory symptoms, nausea, vomiting, and susceptibility to motion sickness may also be associated with VM. Thus, VM should be differentiated from other diseases such as Meniere's disease, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, migraine with brainstem aura, vestibular neuritis, posterior circulation ischemia, multiple lacunar infarction, vestibular paroxysmia, motion sickness, and episodic ataxia type 2.

CONCLUSION

Only if the diagnostic criteria of VM and differential diagnosis can be mastered clearly, we can make a definite diagnosis and treat patients properly.

Intraoperative Electrocochleography Correlates to Outcomes in Transmastoid and Middle Cranial Fossa Superior Semicircular Canal Dehiscence Repair

OBJECTIVE

To determine the degree to which electrocochleography (ECoG) correlates with auditory and vestibular outcomes after repair of superior semicircular canal dehiscence (SSCD) via transmastoid (TM) and middle cranial fossa (MCF) approaches.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective review.

SETTING

Academic tertiary referral center.

PATIENTS

Adults with SSCD who underwent repair between 2005 and 2019.

INTERVENTION

Pre-, intra-, and postoperative ECoG.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Patient-reported vestibular and auditory symptoms; pre-, intra-, and postoperative ECoG measures, dizziness handicap inventory (DHI) scores.

RESULTS

Forty-six patients underwent SSCD repair (40 unilateral, six bilateral) between 2005 and 2019, including 24 MCF and 28 TM approaches. There were no differences in preoperative, intraoperative, or postrepair ECoG SP/AP values between the MCF and TM groups (p 0.12, 0.77, 0.58). Patients had subjective improvement in vestibular symptoms (or stable vestibular function in patients operated for predominantly auditory manifestations) with both approaches (MCF: 87.5%; TM: 92.3%; p 0.64). A successful outcome correlated with intraoperative SP/AP ratio normalization (p 0.0005). Similarly, DHI scores were similar in both groups preoperatively (p 0.66) and returned to their preoperative baseline postoperatively with both (p 0.52). Reported vestibular symptoms persisted or worsened more often in patients with migraine (66.6% vs. 28.9%, p 0.03), and with persistently abnormal ECoG measures, though the latter was not statistically significant in this population (38% vs. 15%, p 0.10). Patients had subjective improvement or stability in auditory symptoms using either approach (MCF: 96%; TM: 100%; p 0.62), also correlating with SP/AP ratio normalization (p 0.008).

CONCLUSIONS

Correction of abnormal preoperative ECoG reliably correlates to patient symptom improvement after SSCD repair. No significant differences in postoperative outcomes were noted between patients undergoing TM versus MCF repair. Circumspection regarding the likelihood of an ideal outcome after SSCD repair should be exercised when counseling patients with concomitant migraine.

DEFINE PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE GAP AND EDUCATIONAL NEED

It is not certain whether outcomes differ between the two dominant approaches for SSCD repair. Surgeons and patients would benefit from an intraoperative metric that reflects satisfactory plugging of SSCD.

LEARNING OBJECTIVE

To highlight the reliability and unique utility of intraoperative ECoG and demonstrate the correlation between ECoG correction and symptom improvement for SSCD repair.

DESIRED RESULT

To report subjective and objective outcomes following SSCD repair and encourage adoption of intraoperative ECoG monitoring.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level V.

INDICATE IRB OR IACUC

IRB review considers this study exempt (HUM00169949).

Skull Vibration-Induced Nystagmus Test (SVINT) in Vestibular Migraine and Menière's Disease

BACKGROUND

Vestibular migraine (VM) and Menière's disease (MD) are the two most frequent episodic vertigo apart from Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) differential diagnosis for them may be troublesome in the early stages. SVINT is a newly proposed vestibular test, which demonstrated to be fast and reliable in diagnoses above all of peripheral vestibular deficits.

METHODS

We retrieved clinical data from two groups of subjects (200 VM and 605 MD), enrolled between 2010 and 2020. Among others, these subjects were included when performing a SVINT. The purpose of the study is to assess if SVINT can be useful to differentiate the two episodic disorders.

RESULTS

59.2% of MD subjects presented as positive with SVINT while only 6% did so with VM; among other tests, only video HIT demonstrated a different frequency in the two groups (13.1% and 0.5%, respectively), but the low sensitivity in these subjects makes the test unaffordable for diagnostic purposes.

CONCLUSIONS

Since SVINT demonstrated to be positive in a peripheral vestibular deficit in previous works, we think that our data are consistent with the hypothesis that, in the pathophysiology of VM attacks, the central vestibular pathways are mainly involved.

Evolution of migraine vertigo in overlapping syndrome with Ménière's disease: prognostic role of instrumental examination

Introduction

Migraine vertigo (MV) and Ménière’s disease (MD) share several signs and symptoms such as tinnitus, fullness, photophobia, phonophobia, headache and vertigo spells lasting hours.

Objective

The aim of the present study was to prospectively observe patients with MV with a sporadic audiological symptom evaluated with clinical examination, Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials (VEMPs), ECochG and v-HIT.

Results

The finding of VEMP asymmetry, according to our cut-off of 33% of difference between sides, resulted in 20 cases, of which 6 had asymmetry of both c-VEMPs and o-VEMPS, all with development of fluctuating hearing during follow-up. ECochG was positive for endolymphatic hydrops in 12 patients.

Conclusions

The evolution of MV may have a variable course in which some patients may develop symptoms typical of MD. The two diseases may be contextually present at the same time configuring an overlapping syndrome, and asymmetric VEMPs might predict development of fluctuating hearing.

Do we need to reconsider the classification of vestibular migraine?

Introduction: Vestibular migraine (VM) is a complex disease characterized by recurrent episodes of migraine associated with vertigo attacks that are observed in 1-3% of the general population. Given its high prevalence and the impact on the health system, it is important to characterize these patients, in order to offer an accurate diagnosis and a proper treatment. As the diagnosis of VM is based on clinical features, the study of potential biomarkers has gained more interest in the last years, to improve the precision in the diagnosis of this disease. The aim of this review is to summarize the main tests available for the diagnosis of VM, including the accuracy of biomarkers for the diagnosis of VM.Areas covered: This review summarizes the main information on VM, including all diagnosis records published in the field in the last 10 years, and focusing on candidate biomarkers for the diagnosis of VM patients.Expert opinion: There is a limited knowledge in the pathophysiology of VM. The search of biomarkers for diagnosis of VM is needed to improve the precision in the diagnosis promoting clinical and translational research. The potential reclassification of VM will depend upon the discovery and validation of these biomarkers.

Recurrent vestibulopathy: are cVEMP, oVEMP and inner ear MRI useful to distinguish patients with Menière's disease and vestibular migraine?

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to assess the rate of endolymphatic hydrops (EH) on MRI and the rate of otolithic dysfunction with cVEMP and oVEMP, in patients with recurrent vertigo such as Menière's disease (MD), vestibular migraine (VM) and vestibular Menière's disease (vMD).

METHODS

In this retrospective study, we performed 3D-FLAIR sequences with delayed acquisition in 20 MD, 20 VM and 20 vMD patients. Each subject was then assessed for the presence of EH on MRI. All patients underwent pure-tone audiometry, cVEMP and oVEMP.

RESULTS

In MD patients, EH was observed in 18 (90%) out of 20 patients while EH was observed in only 1 MV (5%) and 1 vMD (5%) patients. We found significant differences between groups for the presence of EH on MRI (p = 0.001). MD patients had significant higher PTA level (p < 0.001) and oVEMP impairment than MV and vMD (p = 0.08 and p = 0.06, respectively). However, no significant differences were observed for cVEMP impairment, either asymmetric ratio (p = 0.36) and 1000/500 ratio (p = 0.20).

CONCLUSIONS

Concerning cVEMP, we observed no significant differences between VM, vMD and MD. However, we observed higher oVEMP impairment, PTA level and EH on MRI in MD patients. We believe that MRI could be used to differentiate MD from VM patients with cochlear symptoms. However, in cases of migraine associated with recurrent vertigo and without cochlear symptoms, we believe that MRI is not a useful tool to differentiate between VM and vMD.