Is there a link between dizziness and vision? A systematic review

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Neurology
• Vestibular System

Background:

• Dizziness is a common and often debilitating symptom.
• The relationship between visual function and dizziness is not fully understood.
• Vision is a key sensory system involved in balance and spatial orientation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review existing literature on the link between vision and dizziness.
• To identify studies investigating vision as a potential trigger for dizziness.
• To assess the quality of evidence supporting a vision-dizziness connection.

Main Methods:

• Comprehensive literature search across multiple databases (Medline, CINAHL, AMED, Web of Science, Cochrane Library).
• Inclusion of studies involving adults examining vision's role in dizziness.
• Citation chaining and hand searching of reference lists to identify additional relevant papers.

Main Results:

• Thirteen studies met the inclusion criteria.
• Five studies found a significant association between dizziness and vision.
• Five studies reported a weak association, often dependent on statistical methods used.
• Three studies found no association, potentially due to broad dizziness definitions or crude vision measures.

Conclusions:

• Dizziness, excluding light-headedness, appears to be associated with impaired vision.
• Current measures of visual impairment in studies are often crude and lack detail.
• Further high-quality research employing precise vision assessment tools is necessary to solidify the link between vision and dizziness.