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1. “A Dizzy Patient” Steven Feinberg MD
2. HPI “I have vertigo”
3. HPI Several month duration
Decreased hearing in left ear, longstanding
Dizziness started in November after starting propranolol for migraine headaches.
Propranolol was discontinued but vertigo persists
4. HPI Constant lightheaded feeling
Intermittent vertigo lasting 1-4 hours
No temporal relationship to migraines
No positional relationship
No dizziness in response to pressure changes or loud noises
Tinnitus in past, none currently
5. PMH Migraine headaches
6. Physical Exam Normal ear exam
Normal neurotologic exam
Rinne +AU
Weber midline
Negative Dix-Halpike
Negative Romberg
No gaze evoked nystagmus
Normal finger-nose
8. Diagnostic Studies??? MRI was normal
9. Differential Diagnosis Vascular –
Vertebrobasilar insufficiency
CVA
Brainstem
Cerebellar
Labyrinthine
Infectious/Inflammatory –
Labyrinthitis
Viral
Bacterial
Vestibular neuritis
Otitis Media
Otologic syphillis
Traumatic
Fistula
Barotrauma
Temporal bone fracture
10. Differential Diagnosis Autoimmune
Cogan’s
Metabolic
Hypoglycemia
Wernicke’s encephalopathy
Diabetes
B12 deficiency
Hypothyroidism
Hyperventilation
11. Differential Diagnosis Neoplastic
Acoustic neuroma
Glomus
Congenital
Inherited ataxias
Degenerative
Parkinson’s
Progressive supranuclear palsy
Multiple systems atrophy
Normal pressure hydrocephalus
12. Differential Diagnosis Idiopathic/Iatrogenic
BPPV
Meniere’s
Vestibular migraine
Perilymphatic fistula
Multiple sclerosis
Cervicomedullary compression
Superior semicircular canal dehiscence syndrome
Vestibulotoxic medication
Recurrent vestibulopathy
Lupus
Sarcoid
Epilepsy (partial seizures)
13. What is vertigo? Vestibular imbalance
Asymmetry in tonic vestibular activity within vestibular system
Intense feeling of motion
Peripheral vs. central
Vegetative symptoms
14. General evaluation Central vs. peripheral
Have patient walk
Peripheral can walk, lean to side of lesion
Central often cannot stand, fall in variable direction
Nystagmus
Central vs. peripheral
Spontaneous nystagmus, changes with gaze
Unaffected by fixation
Purely vertical or torsional almost always central
Absence of head thrust sign
Other neurologic signs and symptoms
15. Vestibular Migraine All forms of migraine!!!
episodic true vertigo
positional vertigo
constant imbalance
movement-associated disequilibrium
Timing of symptoms
Presenting symptoms
16. What is a Migraine? Recurrent
Nausea
Light
Symptom-free
Throbbing
Sleep
Visual symptoms, dizziness, or vertigo.
Family history
17. Incidence
18-29% of women
6-20% of men
25-28 million people in the U.S.
childbearing age
Episodic vertigo occurs in 25-35%
3.0-3.5% of people in the United States (Prevalence of Méničre disease is 0.2%!)
18. Migraine 2 categories
migraine without aura (common migraine, 90%)
migraine with aura (classic migraine, 10%)
19. International Headache Society Classification of Migraine (2003) Migraine without aura (formally called common migraine)
Headaches last 4-72 hours
2-48 hours in children younger than 15 years
Headache has at least 2 of the following characteristics:
Unilateral location
Pulsating quality
Moderate or severe
Aggravation by activity
During headache, at least 1 of the following occurs:
Nausea and/or vomiting
Photophobia and phonophobia
At least 1 of the following occurs:
History and physical examination findings do not suggest another disorder.
History and physical examination findings do suggest another disorder, but the other disorder is ruled out by appropriate investigations (eg, MRI or CT scanning of the head
20. International Headache Society Classification of Migraine (2003) Migraine with aura (formally called classic migraine)
Aura with at least 2 attacks of the following:
One reversible aura symptom indicating focal CNS dysfunction (ie, vertigo, tinnitus, decreased hearing, ataxia, visual symptoms in one hemifield of both eyes, dysarthria, double vision, paresthesias, paresis, decreased level of consciousness)
Aura symptom that develops gradually over more than 4 minutes or 2 or more symptoms that occur in succession
No aura symptom that lasts more than 60 minutes unless more than one aura symptom is present
Headache occurring before, during, or up to 60 minutes after aura is completed
21. International Headache Society Classification of Migraine (2003) Other categories:
Migraine with prolonged aura - Fulfills criteria for migraine with aura but the aura lasts more than 60 minutes and less than 7 days
Basilar migraine (replaces basilar artery migraine) - Fulfills criteria for migraine with aura but 2 or more aura symptoms of the following types occur: vertigo, tinnitus, decreased hearing, ataxia, visual symptoms in both hemifields of both eyes, dysarthria, double vision, bilateral paresthesias, bilateral paresis, and decreased level of consciousness
Migraine aura without headache (replaces migraine equivalent or acephalic migraine) - Fulfills criteria for migraine with aura but no headache occurs
22. International Headache Society Classification of Migraine (2003) Childhood periodic syndromes that may be precursors to or be associated with migraine
Benign paroxysmal vertigo of childhood
Brief sporadic episodes of dysequilibrium, anxiety, and often nystagmus or vomiting
Normal neurologic examination findings
Normal findings on electroencephalography
Migrainous infarction (replaces complicated migraine)
Patient has previously fulfilled criteria for migraine with aura.
The present attack is typical of previous attacks, but neurologic deficits are not completely reversible within 7 days and/or neuroimaging demonstrates ischemic infarction in relevant area.
Other causes of infarction are ruled out by appropriate investigations.
23. Pathophysiology 1992 Cutrer and Baloh
2 Mechanisms
spreading wave of depression and/or transient vasospasm.
neuroactive peptides
24. Pathophysiology Spreading depression theory:
stimulus (chemical, mechanical) results in a transient wave front that suppresses central neuronal activity.
spreads in all directions.
ion fluxes
Reduction in cerebral blood flow
Aura during spreading wave of cortical depression
25. Pathophysiology Neuropeptide release:
Asymmetric neuropeptide release = vertigo.
Symmetric neuropeptide release = increased sensitivity to motion
Cutrer and Baloh - prolonged hormonelike effect.
26. Serotonin Important substrate in migraine.
Direct effects on the vestibular nucleus neurons.
Both the serotonergic and the peptidergic pathways possibly play a role
No single hypothesis!
27. Pain Poorly understood
Brain insensate
Large intracranial vessels, extracranial vessels, dura all sensate
28. Evaluation History!!!!
Menstrual
Motion intolerance
The attacks of vertigo may awaken patients and usually are spontaneous, but they may be motion provoked.
Triggers
Concurrent migraine?
Family history?
Symptoms
vertigo, lightheadedness, imbalance, combination.
Bimodal distribution
Minutes to hours
Greater than 24 hours
May last months
Vertigo at some time in 70%
Hearing loss
Auditory symtoms (phonophobia in 81%, tinnitus in 15%, hearing loss)
29. Evaluation Symptoms
The duration of the vertigo variable.
may be indistinguishable from the spontaneous vertigo of Méničre disease.
rocking sensation may be a continuous feeling for many weeks to months.
Vertigo of Méničre disease does not last longer than 24 hours. Seven percent experience vertigo for a duration of seconds.
31% minutes up to 2 hours.
5% for 2-6 hours.
8% for 6-24 hours.
49% longer than 24 hours.
30. Audiologic Evaluation Full audiometric evaluation
Unexplained SNHL in 0-31% of migrainers, up to 80% of basilar migrainers. .
Often is of the lower frequencies, may be bilateral.
Fluctuation
Unlike Méničre disease, rarely progresses.
Tinnitus; rarely obtrusive
ENG
not helpful – migraine vs Méničre disease.
normal findings suggest migraine-associated vertigo.
ENG testing not diagnostic
Reduced vestibular response on calorics (18-60%)
Directional response to rotation testing
Prolonged response to rotation
electrocochleography (ECoG).
may help to differentiate Méničre disease and perilymphatic fistula from migraine-associated vertigo.
31. Physical Exam Neurotologic examination often normal.
Horizontal rotary spontaneous nystagmus may be present during an acute attack of vertigo.
Dix-Hallpike examination may elicit symptoms of vertigo or nonvertigo dizziness, each without nystagmus.
32. Diagnostic Tests No diagnostic tests exist!
diagnosis is made by clinical history
If unclear diagnosis by therapeutic response to treatment.
33. Genetic Testing? The genetic cause of a rare type of migraine has been discovered.
Familial hemiplegic migraine, a form of migraine with aura, is associated with mutations in the CACNA1A gene located on chromosome arm 19p13.
This gene codes for a neuronal calcium channel.
Defects involving this gene are also involved with other autosomal dominant disorders that have neurologic symptoms:
Episodic ataxia type 2 (EA2)
Familial hemiplegic migraine
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 6
The CACNA1A gene may be the link between vestibular disorders and migraine.
34. Imaging An MRI of the brain with gadolinium
If unilateral sensorineural hearing loss or tinnitus, the MRI should be directed to the internal auditory canals.
35. Making the Diagnosis No Universal Algorithm accepted
Definite diagnosis:
migraine with aura accompanied by concurrent episodes of vertigo
migraine without aura that is repeatedly associated with vertigo immediately, before, or during the headache.
Probable diagnosis:
recurrent or continuous vertigo or dizziness sensations without neurologic symptoms
when the dizziness is not time-locked to headache,
when a past or family history of migraine headaches exists, and when the dizziness cannot be fully explained by other vestibular disorders.
In these patients, a trial of migraine therapy can be started for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.
36. Treatment Convincing patients difficult!
The 3 broad classes of migraine headache treatment
reduction of risk factors
abortive medications
prophylactic medical therapy.
In general abortive drugs not effective in treating dizziness secondary to migraine.
Reduction of risk factors (stress, anxiety, hypoglycemia, fluctuating estrogen, certain foods, smoking)
Elimination of birth control pills or estrogen replacement products
37. The Problem… General migraine literature focuses on management of headache rather than dizziness
No controlled studies exist evaluating treatments
38. Migraine and Meniere’s Association suggested by Meniere himself
Difficult to distinguish
Prevalence of migraine 56% in MD patients vs 25% in controls
Some patients fit diagnostic categories of both
Patients who meet the clinical criteria for Méničre disease should be treated appropriately for Méničre disease, even if a history of migraine headache exists.
39. Treatment Algorithm (Reploeg et al.) Institute dietary manipulation
Nortriptyline, 10 or 25 mg, titrate to 50 mg
Atenolol 25 mg, titrate to 50 mg
Neurologic consultation
40. Dietary Avoidance Offending foods:
monosodium glutamate (MSG)
alcoholic beverages (red wine, port, sherry, scotch, bourbon)
aged cheese
chocolate
Aspartame
Effective in fewer than 25-30% of migraine cases
Food diary helpful
41. Lifestyle Modification Regular sleep
Regular meals
Exercise
Avoiding peaks of stress, troughs of relaxation
Relaxation training
Biofeedback
42. When to consult neurology?? focal neurologic deficits
migrainous infarction
physician is uncomfortable
43. Prophylaxis First-line prophylactic
calcium channel blockers (verapamil),
tricyclic antidepressants (nortriptyline)
beta-blockers (propranolol).
Second-line treatment includes
Methysergide
Valproic acid.
SSRIs
Gabapentin
Acetazolamide has also been reported as an effective treatment by several authors.
44. Prophylaxis Exact mechanism unknown.
May block the release of neuropeptides into dural blood vessel walls
No class more effective than others.
Verapamil often used initially because lowest side effect profile
If dizziness is controlled with one of these medications, the drug should be administered continuously for at least 1 year (except for methysergide, which requires a 3- to 4-wk drug-free interval at 6 mo).
The medication can be restarted for another year if the dizziness returns after discontinuing therapy.
On average 2/3 with 50% reduction of headache frequency
45. Treatment of Acute Attacks Non-specific
ASA
Tylenol
NSAIDs
Migraine specific treatments
Triptans 1992
Serotonin agonists
Oral, nasal, suppositories, sub-q
High cost
Contraindicated with cardiovascular disease
46. Management of Vestibular Symtoms Promethazine
Meclizine
Dimenhydrinate
Reglan
Triptans not well studied, but contraindicated in basilar migraine due to theoretical risk of vasospasm and stroke.
Surveys suggest vestibular symtoms respond to tripans.
47. Other Interventions Vestibular rehabilitation therapy
Increased physical activity
48. Bibliography Cutrer FM, Baloh RW. Migraine-associated dizziness. Headache 1992; 32: 162-3.
Reploeg MD, Goebel JA. Migraine-associated Dizziness: Patient Characteristics and Management Options. Otol Neurotol. 2002;23:364-371.
Cummings