Weather and Seasonality Associations With Vestibular Neuritis

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Environmental Medicine
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Vestibular neuritis (VN) is an acute vestibular syndrome often linked to viral or post-viral inflammation.
• Evidence for seasonal or environmental triggers of VN remains inconsistent, with conflicting data on seasonal peaks.
• Specific meteorological factors may influence the occurrence of VN beyond broad seasonality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate seasonal variations in VN incidence.
• To examine associations between VN occurrence and local weather anomalies in a Mediterranean climate.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 102 VN cases in Patras, Greece (2020-2025), adhering to Bárány Society criteria.
• Analysis of daily meteorological data (temperature, wind speed, pressure) correlated with monthly VN case counts.
• Statistical assessment using chi-square tests for seasonality and Pearson correlations for weather anomalies, with Bonferroni correction.

Main Results:

• No significant seasonal distribution was observed in monthly VN case numbers.
• A significant positive correlation was found between monthly maximum temperature anomalies and VN incidence (r=0.39, p=0.0047).
• Other meteorological variables, including average temperature and wind speed, showed non-significant correlations after correction.

Conclusions:

• VN incidence in this cohort did not exhibit a strict seasonal pattern.
• Higher-than-average monthly maximum temperatures were significantly associated with increased VN cases.
• Findings suggest multifactorial VN pathogenesis involving environmental stressors, potentially interacting with viral, vascular, and immune factors.