Patients with vestibular migraine (VM) often have aural symptoms and these are predictive of a lower probability of symptom improvement for headache and dizziness, according to a study published online Feb. 24 in the Journal of Clinical Medicine.
Seungmin Kwak, from Yonsei University College of Medicine in Seoul, the Republic of Korea, and colleagues conducted a retrospective cohort study to analyze clinical features, audiovestibular test results, and symptom improvement following medical therapy in 169 patients with VM. Distinct features of patients with VM who were also diagnosed with Meniere disease (MDVM) were explored.
The researchers found that patients with VM often experienced aural symptoms, with 47.9%, 40.2%, and 17.2% experiencing ear fullness, tinnitus, and hearing fluctuations, respectively. Aural symptoms were predictive of a lower probability of symptom improvement for headache and dizziness. Eleven patients (6.5%) with VM with aural symptoms were diagnosed with MD and they had distinct hearing patterns, with a greater drop at low frequencies (mean hearing threshold: 33.6 ± 6.7 dB versus 20.6 ± 11.1 dB in MDVM and VM, respectively) and aggravated hearing levels on final audiometry (30.8 ± 23.0 dB versus 12.6 ± 7.1 dB).
“These findings suggest that longitudinal audiometric monitoring, particularly focusing on low-frequency changes, may provide practical clinical value in distinguishing early MD from VM,” the authors write.
More information
Seungmin Kwak et al, Prevalence and Clinical Significance of Aural Symptoms in Vestibular Migraine with and Without Ménière’s Disease, Journal of Clinical Medicine (2026). DOI: 10.3390/jcm15051687
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