[Anxiety syndrome in vertigo patients. A comparison of neuro-otologic findings in patients with and without anxiety].

Anxiety is a common symptom is vertigo patients. ACute anxiety is known in neurology and psychiatry as panic disorder. The cardiovascular and the gastrointestinal subtypes have been used in the classification of panic disorders up to now. Frommberger and co-workers (1993) have also defined a vestibular subtype. In this study, we have compared the neurotologic test results of 53 patients with vertigo in combination with panic disorder and of 53 patients with balance disorders without anxiety to clarify, whether disturbances in the vestibular systems can be objectivated or not. Differences of both groups were found in history data, especially in the vertigo characteristics, the accompanying vegetative symptoms, the releasing mechanisms, the duration of the attacks, and the total time of the dizziness complaints. The mean age was less significant in the patients with panic disorder than in the control group. The test results of the anxiety group showed a higher rate of right-directed spontaneous nystagmus and less pathological vestibular findings in the caloric and rotating test as well as in the Unterberger stepping test when compared to the control group. Some of the patients with panic disorder developed acute anxiety during the examination.