Chronic dizziness: modern treatment methods taking into account comorbidity
Authors: Zastenskaia E. N. , Antonenko L. M. 
Published: December 2023

In most cases, chronic dizziness is persistent postural perceptual dizziness (PPPD), which is often combined with other diseases of the vestibular system and anxiety disorders. In real-life clinical practice, PPPD and comorbid disorders are rarely diagnosed and effective treatments are rarely prescribed, so the development of modern methods for managing patients with PPPD with comorbid diseases is important.

Objective: to analyze the typical management practices and evaluate the effectiveness of complex therapy in patients with PPPD and comorbid disorders.

Material and methods. We examined 60 patients (mean age – 42.5±13.8 years) with diagnosis of PPPD (according to the diagnostic criteria of the Barany Society) and comorbid diseases. All patients were examined twice: at the beginning and after completion of treatment, which lasted an average of 1 month. Treatment included antidepressants (serotonin reuptake inhibitors/serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors), anti-anxiety medications, vestibular exercises, an educational program, and cognitive behavioral therapy. Arlevert (a combination of cinnarizine 20 mg + dimenhydrinate 40 mg) was used as a drug therapy for the treatment of vestibular dizziness in 28 patients. A clinical otoneurological evaluation and videonystagmography were performed to assess vestibular disorders; the severity of dizziness was assessed using an otoneurological questionnaire and the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI); the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and Spielberger Anxiety Inventory (STAI) were used to assess anxiety and depressive disorders.

Results. None of the 60 patients had previously been diagnosed with PPPD. They were observed with a misdiagnosis of cerebrovascular disease and/or cervical spine pathology and received ineffective treatment. Anxiety and depressive disorders were detected in 32 (53.33%) patients, migraine – in 20 (33.33%) and previous peripheral vestibular disorders – in 8 (13.33%) patients. After one month of treatment in patients with PPPD and comorbid conditions, the severity of dizziness according to DHI decreased from 45.59±15.47 to 29.9±12.56 points (p<0.001), the severity of anxiety according to BAI from 27.50±6.38 to 15.66±4.07 points (p<0.001), the severity of depression according to BDI from 11.91±6.24 to 7.06±4.12 points (p<0.001), the severity of anxiety according to HADS from 13.47±4.16 to 8.60±2.86 points (p<0.001), the severity of depression according to HADS from 6.34±3.72 to 4.31±2.82 points (p<0.001), situational anxiety according to STAI from 50.69±7.13 to 41.26±6.24 points (p<0.001), personal anxiety according to STAI from 54.66±8.21 to 43.78±6.75 points (p<0.001).

Conclusion. It was found that PPPD is rarely diagnosed, and anxiety disorders, migraine and peripheral vestibular disorders are very common in PPPD patients. The integrated approach in the treatment of patients with PPPG, taking into account concomitant disorders, has demonstrated high efficacy.