Dizziness Handicap and Anxiety in Patients with BPPV and Migraines

A recent study found that significant differences in perceived handicap scores and levels of anxiety and depression exist between patients diagnosed with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) and those with vestibular migraines.

Patients with BPPV reported lower scores on the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) than patients with vestibular migraines.

Improvements in the DHI scores were seen in both groups three months later. However, HADS score remained unchanged in both groups. The results underscore the importance of including measures of functional impact and psychological measures into vestibular evaluations to better understand how these disorders are affecting our patients.

Reference

Zhu C, Li Y, Ju Y, Zhao X. (2020) Dizziness handicap and anxiety depression among patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo and vestibular migraine. Medicine. Published online December 24, 2020. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000023752.