Central Causes of Dizziness

Abstract

Vestibular physical therapy has become a mainstay in the management of patients with balance disorders manifesting as dizziness and disequilibrium. Numerous concept papers,1–20 case studies,21–29 case series with no controls,30–44 and controlled studies45–49 support the use of rehabilitation techniques for patients with peripheral vestibular disorders. There is less evidence supporting the use of rehabilitation techniques for patients with central vestibular disorders. Several concept papers,6,9,17,50–54 case studies,4,23,55–59 and case series with no controls17,23,30,31,33,36,38–40 have been published regarding central vestibular disorders. In addition, 2 textbooks on the subject of vestibular rehabilitation60,61 provide ample evidence that this treatment for patients with balance disorders appears to be very promising (Tab. 1). Only a few controlled studies,45–49 however, have addressed the efficacy of physical therapy for patients with peripheral vestibular disorders, and none of these controlled studies have addressed patients with central vestibular pathology. Articles that specifically addressed benign paroxysmal positional vertigo62–65 are not included in Table 1. Most of the studies cited in the case series group in Table 1 had few patients with central dysfunction, and rarely were these patients differentiated from the patients with peripheral vestibular disorders, making it difficult to reach any definitive conclusions. View this table: Table 1. References for Concept Papers, Case Studies, Case Series With No Controls, and Controlled Studies Regarding Physical Therapy for Patients With Peripheral or Central Vestibular Disorders Overall, patients with central vestibular disorders have worse outcomes of rehabilitation than do patients with peripheral vestibular disorders.53 Patients with central disorders often cannot be progressed as quickly …