Care Gaps and Recommendations in Vestibular Migraine: An Expert Panel Summit

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Otolaryngology
• Vestibular Science

Background:

• Vestibular migraine (VM) is an underdiagnosed cause of vestibular disorders.
• Current diagnostic criteria exist, but the pathophysiology remains unclear.
• Seven key care gaps in VM management and research were identified by experts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To outline current care gaps in Vestibular Migraine (VM).
• To propose recommendations for addressing these gaps in diagnosis, pathophysiology, and treatment.
• To foster collaborative research for better understanding and management of VM.

Main Methods:

• A multidisciplinary, international expert workshop was convened in October 2020.
• The workshop identified and discussed seven critical care gaps in VM.
• Recommendations were formulated to address the identified challenges.

Main Results:

• Identified care gaps include understanding VM phenotypes, lack of diagnostic markers, elusive pathophysiology, and insufficient treatment guidelines.
• Recommendations include establishing a global VM registry and developing an improved diagnostic algorithm.
• Further research is recommended to validate treatments and elucidate pathophysiologic mechanisms, particularly trigemino-vascular pathways.

Conclusions:

• Addressing the identified care gaps is crucial for advancing VM diagnosis and management.
• Collaborative efforts and further research are essential to improve patient outcomes.
• Elucidating the role of trigemino-vascular pathways may offer new therapeutic targets for VM.