Vestibular and auditory manifestations of migraine

The purpose of this narrative review is to discuss current literature about vestibular migraine and other cochleovestibular symptoms related to migraine.

Vestibular migraine affects 2.7% of the US population. Misdiagnosis is common. The pathophysiology is currently unknown but new research shows that calcitonin gene-related peptide, which is implicated in migraine headaches, is expressed in the audiovestibular periphery. A recent large-scale placebo-controlled trial looking at metoprolol for vestibular migraine was terminated early due to poor recruitment; however, at study completion, no differences were seen between treatment arms. Many other audiovestibular symptoms have been shown to be associated with migraine, including tinnitus, hearing loss, aural fullness, otalgia, and sinus symptoms. Migraine is also associated with risk for developing numerous otologic conditions, including Meniere's disease, vestibular loss, Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo, and sudden sensorineural hearing loss. There is now some evidence that patients may experience fluctuating hearing loss and aural fullness without vertigo in association with migraine, which is called cochlear migraine.

Migraine can cause a variety of audiologic and vestibular symptoms, and further research is required to understand how migraine affects the inner ear.