Relationship Between Affected Semicircular Canal and Functional Limitations and Anxiety in Benign Paroxysmal...

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) causes functional limitations in activities of daily living, increases the risk of falls, and leads to increased anxiety.

To assess the relationship between the plane of the affected semicircular canal and functional limitations, fall risk, and anxiety in patients with BPPV.

The Vestibular Disorders Activities of Daily Living Scale (VADL), the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), and the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) were administered to patients with BPPV with single-canal involvement who were treated with canalith repositioning maneuvers. Patients with multicanal involvement were not included in the study. Scores were compared among posterior, lateral, and anterior canal BPPV groups.

Adults aged 18-65 years presenting with vertigo and diagnosed with BPPV between May and October 2021 were included.

Group differences among canal subtypes were evaluated using the Kruskal-Wallis test. Between-group comparisons among canal groups were further examined with a one-way analysis of covariance adjusted for age and sex. Bonferroni correction was applied for post hoc pairwise comparisons. For categorical variables, between-group differences were assessed with Pearson's χ² test.

Patients with anterior canal BPPV had significantly lower VADL scores, whereas HAM-A and BBS scores did not differ by canal involvement. Women showed higher anxiety and fall risk scores, and the oldest age group had lower BBS scores.

According to VADL scores, anterior canal BPPV was associated with less functional limitation than posterior or lateral canal BPPV. Anxiety and fall risk scores showed no canal-related differences.

Clinicians can use the canal plane to set expectations for daily function recovery while prioritizing fall prevention strategies irrespective of canal.