An evaluation of the relationship among electronystagmographic, audiologic, and self-report descriptors of dizziness.

Although descriptions of dizziness constitute a major category of complaints among patients seen in many clinical practices, the actual significance of the patient's report of symptoms has been disputed. Furthermore, the relationship of report to outcomes of clinical tests of the audio-vestibular system has not been well described. The present study examined the relationship of a self-report measure to results of electronystagmographic and audiometric evaluations in a consecutive sampling of patients at a Veterans Administration Medical Center. The findings reflected poor predictability of peripheral vestibular involvement when using the self-reporting questionnaire by patients, even when combined with audiometric observations. The utility of the self-report approach is discussed.