[Dizziness in Parkinson's disease]

To study clinical features of vestibular disorders in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and to develop methods of their treatment.

The study included 90 patients with PD who were divided into two groups: the main group (60 patients with PD and vestibular symptoms (VS)) and the control group (30 patients with PD without VS). All patients underwent clinical neurological examination, assessment of cognitive functions, affective and autonomic disorders as well as neurovestibular examination.

In some cases, dizziness was due to concomitant diseases of the vestibular system. Among the rest of the patients of the main group, signs of disorders of the central mechanisms of gaze control, otolith dysfunction, anxiety disorder and visuospatial dysfunction were recorded significantly more often than in the control group. The addition of vestibular rehabilitation to the complex treatment of patients of the main group helped to reduce postural instability and decreased the risk of falls.

Vestibular disorders are significantly more common in patients with PD who complain of dizziness. An early detection of these disorders is feasible with the help of neurovestibular research. It is reasonable to add individually selected vestibular exercises to the complex treatment of these disorders.