Characterization of Vestibular Perception in Patients with Persistent Postural-Perceptual Dizziness

To assess vestibular (i.e., passive self-motion) perception in patients diagnosed with persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD).

Case-controlled, cross-sectional, observational investigation.

Single-center laboratory-based study.

Thirteen patients with PPPD, 13 age-matched healthy control volunteers. Of those with PPPD, eight had co-occurring vestibular migraine (VM).

All participants completed a vestibular threshold test battery reflecting perception with predominant inputs from ( a ) the otoliths (1-Hz interaural y -axis translation, 1-Hz superior-inferior z -axis translation), ( b ) the semicircular canals (2-Hz yaw rotation, 2-Hz tilts in the planes of the vertical canal pairs), and ( c ) and canal-otolith integration (0.5-Hz roll tilt).

Direction-recognition thresholds for each vestibular threshold test condition.

Across all patients with PPPD, higher thresholds for superior-inferior z -translations thresholds in comparison to age-matched healthy control participants were identified ( p < 0.001). Those patients with co-occurring VM and PPPD (PPPD/+VM) displayed significantly higher z -translation thresholds ( p = 0.006), whereas patients with PPPD without VM (PPPD/-VM) displayed significantly higher roll tilt thresholds ( p = 0.029).

Patients with PPPD did not display a global worsening of passive self-motion perception as quantified by vestibular perceptual thresholds. Instead, patients with PPPD displayed elevated thresholds for only roll tilt and z -translation thresholds, with the relative change in each threshold impacted by the co-occurrence of VM. Because both z -translation and roll tilt motions are reliant on accurate gravity perception, our data suggest that patients with PPPD may exhibit impaired processing of graviceptive cues.