Migrainous vertigo: clinical, oculographic and posturographic findings

Migrainous vertigo (MV) is accepted as a common cause of episodic vertigo. The peripheral or central vestibular localization of the deficit as well as the pathophysiology is unclear. This prospective study was designed to assess the clinical features of MV and to search for the localization of the vestibular pathology. Thirty-five patients with MV, 20 patients with migraine and 20 healthy volunteers were studied. Comprehensive neurotological tests were performed between attacks. None of the normal controls or the patients with migraine had ocular motor deficits or caloric test abnormalities. Three patients in the MV group showed saccadic pursuit (8.6%), in one of whom saccadic hypometria was also present. Caloric test results revealed unilateral caloric hypofunction in seven patients (20%). Static posturography results revealed increased sway velocity when the eyes were closed or the platform was distorted in patients with MV. These findings during the symptom-free period revealed that peripheral vestibular dysfunction was more common than a central deficit.