Journal Reviews
Is Gamma Knife Surgery effective for intracanalicular vestibular schwannomas?
Vestibular schwannomas (VSs) are rare, occurring in approximately five per 100,000 adults a year. In circa 8% of cases, the VS is contained within the internal auditory canal, i.e. intracanalicular (iVS). Although radiosurgery is a recognised treatment modality for VSs,...
Booklet-based supervised vs. non-supervised vestibular rehabilitation
There are conflicting results in the literature about home-based vestibular rehabilitation training (VRT) as opposed to physiotherapist-led training. A randomised controlled trial was designed to interrogate this further. The primary aim was to assess “the effects of a booklet-based exercise...
Cognitive function is preserved in episodic vestibular disorders
Cognitive deficit in bilateral vestibular failure in particular, but also in unilateral vestibular failure, is well documented. The authors designed this prospective study to determine if deficits in cognition, as well as anxiety and depression, were present in episodic vestibular...
Cervicogenic vertigo, a view from the experts
Many readers would be familiar with the term ‘cervicogenic vertigo’ to mean neck-related vertigo or dizziness. In simple terms, this disorder has been defined as dizziness/vertigo caused by neck pain and/or stiffness. By implication, the vertigo/dizziness should resolve by treating...
Subtypes of vestibular migraine
The authors argue that the current Barany criteria (ICVD) for vestibular migraine (definite and probable – dVM and pVM) are too restrictive. For instance, whereas a category of chronic migraine with or without aura is recognised in ICHD-3, ‘chronic VM’...
Global incidence of sporadic vestibular schwannoma
The incidence rate of sporadic vestibular schwannoma (VS) has commonly been quoted as one in 100,000. However, since the advent of screening for asymmetrical hearing loss and increased availability of modern MRI scanning, more recent studies have shown the incidence...
Obstructive sleep apnoea in common vestibular disorders
The importance of getting a good night’s sleep is often acknowledged but may be particularly difficult to achieve for those with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). In addition to high blood pressure, increased risk of stroke and depression, balance problems may...
Treatment options for vestibular neuritis: systematic review and meta-analysis
Vestibular neuritis (VN) is the third most common cause of peripheral vertigo. VN has been postulated to have viral aetiology and historically it was treated with steroids, until 2011 when a Cochrane review demonstrated lack of robust evidence behind this...
Persistent imbalance after traumatic brain injury is central in origin
Several residual symptoms, including dizziness and imbalance, can follow traumatic brain injury, no matter how mild. This study focused on the mechanisms, peripheral and central, underlying the complaint of persistent imbalance in patients with chronic mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI)....
Continuous Ambulatory Vestibular Assessment (CAVA)
This article presents initial test findings using a novel system called CAVA - Continuous Ambulatory Vestibular Assessment. Akin to the 24-hour ECG tape to identify cardiac arrhythmias, this system aims to continuously monitor the presence of a nystagmus pattern in...
Effect of COVID-19 on hearing and balance
Rhinological symptoms are cardinal features of COVID-19. However there have only been anecdotal reports on the involvement of the ear, the closest neighbour to the nose and throat. The aim of this study was ‘to assess the presence of persistent...
The vestibular system is not immune to chronic otitis media
It is well recognised that chronic otitis media (COM) is a risk factor for sensorineural hearing loss. Studies on the effect of COM on vestibular function have been beset by design biases. The authors designed a case control study to...
