BACKGROUND: It is reported in some individual patients that vestibular stimuli can trigger migraine attacks. This study used a case-control design to examine systematically the hypothesis that vertigo induced by vestibular stimulation (rotation/caloric testing) can act as a specific migraine trigger. METHODS: A total of 123 new patients attending neuro-otology or neurology clinics were studied with questionnaires and physician interview to ascertain migraine history according to International Headache Society criteria. A total of 79 who underwent rotation/caloric vestibular testing (test group) were compared with 44 control patients in whom no such testing was carried out (control group). The principal outcome measure was the occurrence of a migraine attack within 24 hours of exposure to vestibular stimulation. RESULTS: Of those participants with a past history of migraines, 19/39 (49%) of the test group experienced a migraine in the study time window, compared with 1/21 (5%) of the control group. Binary logistic regression analysis confirmed that vestibular testing was associated (p < 0.05) with migraine attacks. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that induced vertigo can act as a migraine trigger, a finding with implications for the diagnosis of patients with episodic vertigo and migraine headache. While such patients may well have basilar migraine or migrainous vertigo, alternatively, another disorder causing episodic vertigo (e.g., benign paroxysmal positional vertigo or Ménière disease) may be triggering migraine headaches.
BACKGROUND: It is reported in some individual patients that vestibular stimuli can trigger migraine attacks. This study used a case-control design to examine systematically the hypothesis that vertigo induced by vestibular stimulation (rotation/caloric testing) can act as a specific migraine trigger. METHODS: A total of 123 new patients attending neuro-otology or neurology clinics were studied with questionnaires and physician interview to ascertain migraine history according to International Headache Society criteria. A total of 79 who underwent rotation/caloric vestibular testing (test group) were compared with 44 control patients in whom no such testing was carried out (control group). The principal outcome measure was the occurrence of a migraine attack within 24 hours of exposure to vestibular stimulation. RESULTS: Of those participants with a past history of migraines, 19/39 (49%) of the test group experienced a migraine in the study time window, compared with 1/21 (5%) of the control group. Binary logistic regression analysis confirmed that vestibular testing was associated (p < 0.05) with migraine attacks. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that induced vertigo can act as a migraine trigger, a finding with implications for the diagnosis of patients with episodic vertigo and migraineheadache. While such patients may well have basilar migraine or migrainous vertigo, alternatively, another disorder causing episodic vertigo (e.g., benign paroxysmal positional vertigo or Ménière disease) may be triggering migraine headaches.
Authors: T Lempert; J Olesen; J Furman; J Waterston; B Seemungal; J Carey; A Bisdorff; M Versino; S Evers; D Newman-Toker Journal: Nervenarzt Date: 2013-04 Impact factor: 1.214
Authors: Omid Moshtaghi; Hossein Mahboubi; Yarah M Haidar; Ronald Sahyouni; Harrison W Lin; Hamid R Djalilian Journal: Otol Neurotol Date: 2017-12 Impact factor: 2.311
Authors: Thomas Lempert; Jes Olesen; Joseph Furman; John Waterston; Barry Seemungal; John Carey; Alexander Bisdorff; Maurizio Versino; Stefan Evers; Amir Kheradmand; David Newman-Toker Journal: J Vestib Res Date: 2022 Impact factor: 2.354