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The Bárány Society position on 'Cervical Dizziness'

Seemungal, Barry M. ; Agrawal, Yuri ; Bisdorff, Alexander ; Bronstein, Adolfo ; Cullen, Kathleen E. ; Goadsby, Peter J. ; Lempert, Thomas ; Kothari, Sudhir ; Lim, Phang Boon and Magnusson, Måns LU orcid , et al. (2022) In Journal of vestibular research : equilibrium & orientation 32(6). p.487-499
Abstract

This paper describes the Bárány Society Classification OverSight Committee (COSC) position on Cervical Dizziness, sometimes referred to as Cervical Vertigo. This involved an initial review by a group of experts across a broad range of fields, and then subsequent review by the Bárány Society COSC. Based upon the so far published literature, the Bárány Society COSC takes the view that the evidence supporting a mechanistic link between an illusory sensation of self-motion (i.e. vertigo - spinning or otherwise) and neck pathology and/or symptoms of neck pain - either by affecting the cervical vertebrae, soft tissue structures or cervical nerve roots - is lacking. When a combined head and neck movement triggers an illusory sensation of... (More)

This paper describes the Bárány Society Classification OverSight Committee (COSC) position on Cervical Dizziness, sometimes referred to as Cervical Vertigo. This involved an initial review by a group of experts across a broad range of fields, and then subsequent review by the Bárány Society COSC. Based upon the so far published literature, the Bárány Society COSC takes the view that the evidence supporting a mechanistic link between an illusory sensation of self-motion (i.e. vertigo - spinning or otherwise) and neck pathology and/or symptoms of neck pain - either by affecting the cervical vertebrae, soft tissue structures or cervical nerve roots - is lacking. When a combined head and neck movement triggers an illusory sensation of spinning, there is either an underlying common vestibular condition such as migraine or BPPV or less commonly a central vestibular condition including, when acute in onset, dangerous conditions (e.g. a dissection of the vertebral artery with posterior circulation stroke and, exceedingly rarely, a vertebral artery compression syndrome). The Committee notes, that migraine, including vestibular migraine, is by far, the commonest cause for the combination of neck pain and vestibular symptoms. The committee also notes that since head movement aggravates symptoms in almost any vestibular condition, the common finding of increased neck muscle tension in vestibular patients, may be linked as both cause and effect, to reduced head movements. Additionally, there are theoretical mechanisms, which have not been explored, whereby cervical pain may promote vaso-vagal, cardio-inhibitory reflexes and hence by presyncopal mechanisms, elicit   transient   disorientation and/or imbalance. The committee accepts that further research is required to answer the question as to whether those rare cases in which neck muscle spasm is associated with a vague sense of spatial disorientation and/or imbalance, is indeed linked to impaired neck proprioception. Future studies should ideally be placebo controlled and double-blinded where possible, with strict inclusion and exclusion criteria that aim for high specificity at the cost of sensitivity. To facilitate further studies in "cervical dizziness/vertigo", we provide a narrative view of the important confounds investigators should consider when designing controlled mechanistic and therapeutic studies. Hence, currently, the Bárány COSC refrains from proposing any preliminary diagnostic criteria for clinical use outside a research study. This position may change as new research evidence is provided.

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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Cervical, cervicogenic, dizziness, neck, vertigo, vestibular
in
Journal of vestibular research : equilibrium & orientation
volume
32
issue
6
pages
13 pages
publisher
IOS Press
external identifiers
  • pmid:36404562
  • scopus:85144638262
ISSN
1878-6464
DOI
10.3233/VES-220202
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
3e90f62d-061c-4d3b-9c74-f9d351f76141
date added to LUP
2023-01-13 10:19:55
date last changed
2024-06-15 01:53:52
@article{3e90f62d-061c-4d3b-9c74-f9d351f76141,
  abstract     = {{<p>This paper describes the Bárány Society Classification OverSight Committee (COSC) position on Cervical Dizziness, sometimes referred to as Cervical Vertigo. This involved an initial review by a group of experts across a broad range of fields, and then subsequent review by the Bárány Society COSC. Based upon the so far published literature, the Bárány Society COSC takes the view that the evidence supporting a mechanistic link between an illusory sensation of self-motion (i.e. vertigo - spinning or otherwise) and neck pathology and/or symptoms of neck pain - either by affecting the cervical vertebrae, soft tissue structures or cervical nerve roots - is lacking. When a combined head and neck movement triggers an illusory sensation of spinning, there is either an underlying common vestibular condition such as migraine or BPPV or less commonly a central vestibular condition including, when acute in onset, dangerous conditions (e.g. a dissection of the vertebral artery with posterior circulation stroke and, exceedingly rarely, a vertebral artery compression syndrome). The Committee notes, that migraine, including vestibular migraine, is by far, the commonest cause for the combination of neck pain and vestibular symptoms. The committee also notes that since head movement aggravates symptoms in almost any vestibular condition, the common finding of increased neck muscle tension in vestibular patients, may be linked as both cause and effect, to reduced head movements. Additionally, there are theoretical mechanisms, which have not been explored, whereby cervical pain may promote vaso-vagal, cardio-inhibitory reflexes and hence by presyncopal mechanisms, elicit   transient   disorientation and/or imbalance. The committee accepts that further research is required to answer the question as to whether those rare cases in which neck muscle spasm is associated with a vague sense of spatial disorientation and/or imbalance, is indeed linked to impaired neck proprioception. Future studies should ideally be placebo controlled and double-blinded where possible, with strict inclusion and exclusion criteria that aim for high specificity at the cost of sensitivity. To facilitate further studies in "cervical dizziness/vertigo", we provide a narrative view of the important confounds investigators should consider when designing controlled mechanistic and therapeutic studies. Hence, currently, the Bárány COSC refrains from proposing any preliminary diagnostic criteria for clinical use outside a research study. This position may change as new research evidence is provided.</p>}},
  author       = {{Seemungal, Barry M. and Agrawal, Yuri and Bisdorff, Alexander and Bronstein, Adolfo and Cullen, Kathleen E. and Goadsby, Peter J. and Lempert, Thomas and Kothari, Sudhir and Lim, Phang Boon and Magnusson, Måns and Marcus, Hani J. and Strupp, Michael and Whitney, Susan L.}},
  issn         = {{1878-6464}},
  keywords     = {{Cervical; cervicogenic; dizziness; neck; vertigo; vestibular}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{6}},
  pages        = {{487--499}},
  publisher    = {{IOS Press}},
  series       = {{Journal of vestibular research : equilibrium & orientation}},
  title        = {{The Bárány Society position on 'Cervical Dizziness'}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3233/VES-220202}},
  doi          = {{10.3233/VES-220202}},
  volume       = {{32}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}