Video head impulse test in vestibular migraine

Abstract

Introduction: Vestibular migraine as an entity was described in 1999 and its pathophysiology is still not established. Simultaneously with research to better understand vestibular migraine, there has been an improvement in vestibular function assessment. The video-head impulse test is one of the latest tools to evaluate vestibular function, measuring its vestibular-ocular reflex gain.

Objective: To evaluate vestibular function of vestibular migraine patients using video-head impulse test.

Methods: Cross-sectional case-control study homogeneous by age and gender with vestibular migraine patients according to the 2012-2013 Barany Society/International Headache Society diagnostic criteria submitted to video-head impulse test during intercrisis period.

Results: 31 vestibular migraine patients were evaluated with a predominantly female group (90.3%) and mean age of 41 years old. Vestibular function was normal in both patient and control groups. Gain values for horizontal canals were similar between the two groups, but gain values for vertical canals were higher in the group with vestibular migraine (p<0.05). Patients with vestibular migraine felt more dizziness while performing the video-head impulse test than control subjects (p<0.001).

Conclusions: Patients with vestibular migraine present normal vestibular function during intercrisis period when evaluated by video-head impulse test. Vertical canals, however, have higher gains in patients with vestibular migraine than in control subjects. Vestibular migraine patients feel dizziness more often while conducting video-head impulse test.

Keywords: Dizziness; Head impulse test; Migraine disorders; Vertigo; Vestibular function tests.