Sherifa A. Hamed, Amal Mohamad Elattar
This is a cross-sectional study evaluated vestibular function with migraine. Included were 58 patients [Migraine with aura (MA) = = 12; migraine without aura (MoA) = 46] (mean age = 31.60±9.17 and duration of illness = 8.33±4.47 years) and 40 healthy subjects. All underwent basic audiological evaluation, electronystagmography (ENG) and auditory-brainstem response (ABR). We reported frequent vestibular manifestations in between the headache attacks (MA>MoA) including: dizziness (44.82%), rotatory vertigo (20.69%), positional vertigo (10.34%) and sense of imbalance (13.79%). Abnormalities ≥ one ENG tests were reported in 74.14% including: post head shaking (31.03%) positioning/positional testing (20.67%), OKN (24.14%), unilateral caloric weakness (17.24%), pursuit (13.79%) and saccadic (8.62%) eye tracking, gaze nystagmus (10.34%), spontaneous nystagmus (5.17%) and directional preponderance (6.9%). Phonophobia and tinnitus were reported in 10.34% and 13.79%. None had manifest hearing impairment but only 12 ears had pure tone audiometry abnormalities. ABR abnormalities were reported in 28% including: prolonged waves III latency and I-III, III-V and I-V IPLs. Frequency and duration of migraine were commonly associated with ENG and ABR abnormalities. Our results indicate that chronic migraine may result in permanent vestibular damage at any level of the peripheral or central vestibular pathways. This may lead to improved diagnosis, better prophylaxis and treatment of migraine and its related complications
