VM-PATHI Correlates With Cognitive Function Improvement After Successful Treatment in Patients With Vestibular...

To assess changes in cognitive function in vestibular migraine patients undergoing treatment.

Prospective cohort.

Single-institution tertiary-care center.

Thirty-four patients with vestibular migraine were included in the study. Average age at diagnosis was 47.9 years. A majority of patients (91.2%) were female.

Vestibular therapies included pharmacologic treatment (67.6%), mindfulness-based stress reduction (58.8%), vestibular physical therapy (20.6%), and lifestyle changes only (2.9%).

Pretreatment and posttreatment questionnaires were collected including the Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ), Vestibular Migraine Patient Assessment Tool and Handicap Inventory (VM-PATHI), and Dizziness Handicap Inventory.

Median time between pretreatment and posttreatment questionnaire was 4.4 months (range, 2.8-15.6. mo). CFQ scores decreased in subjects who responded to treatment, as defined by those with a positive change in VM-PATHI score (average decrease, 6.5; p = 0.03). CFQ scores did not improve in subjects who had no improvement in their vestibular condition, as defined by no change or an increase in VM-PATHI score (average increase, 2.0; p = 0.53). Univariate linear regression showed that VM-PATHI score change was highly predictive of CFQ change ( p < 0.01, r2 = 0.36). Multivariate regression demonstrated that the VM-PATHI ( p = 0.03) and not the Dizziness Handicap Inventory ( p = 0.10) predicted changes in CFQ score.

Self-reported cognitive dysfunction improves with successful treatment of vestibular migraine.