Psychological findings in benign paroxysmal positional vertigo and psychogenic vertigo.
OBJECTIVE
A prospective study conducted at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India, to study the psychological factors in cases of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) and to compare them with patients with psychogenic vertigo.


METHODS
In the present study, 75 subjects each (25-45 years) with BPPV and psychogenic vertigo were compared with an equal number of age- and sex-matched normal controls using the psychological and audiovestibular test batteries.


RESULTS
The psychological variables tested, namely, loneliness, depression, anxiety components, introversion, and social desirability, were found to be statistically significant (p < .01) for the three groups (i.e., BPPV, psychogenic, and control). There was no significant difference among the three groups on the audiovestibular measures.


CONCLUSIONS
Psychological factors play an important role in patients with BPPV. The provoking activities result in precipitation of an acute attack and the patients experience heightened emotionality because of the incapacitating feeling of severe vertigo.
Nagarkar
A N
AN
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
Gupta
A K
AK
Mann
S B
SB
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011187:Posture; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014717:Vertigo / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*