Objective evaluation of the effect of flunarizine on vestibular neuritis.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether vestibular autorotation tests (VAT) would show significant differences in vestibular oculomotor reflex (VOR) parameters in vertiginous patients before and after treatment with flunarizine.


METHODS
Prospective study in a tertiary referral academic center.


METHODS
Twenty-three patients (10 men, 13 women, mean age 45.57 years, mean length of disease 99.48 days, mean treatment 38.61 days), with vertigo due to vestibular neuritis, underwent VAT testing before and after treatment with 5 mg of flunarizine daily.


RESULTS
The parameter improvement value (IV) resulted from subtracting posttreatment from pretreatment VAT numerical values. Regarding subjective improvement, 3 patients (13%) said they had none, 5 (21.7%) expressed moderate progress, 9 (39.1) considered the results satisfactory, and 6 (26%) became asymptomatic. The VAT results gave high positive IV for horizontal restriction, low positive for horizontal and vertical gains and horizontal asymmetry, and negative IV for horizontal phase and vertical restriction. Regarding the individual frequencies, horizontal and vertical gains improved in all the frequencies tested except one. The horizontal phase improved at low frequencies (2.0 and 2.3 Hz) and deteriorated from 2.7 to 3.9 Hz. Vertical and horizontal restriction showed both improvement and deterioration. Horizontal asymmetry displayed improvement from -0.01 at 2.0 Hz to 0.50 at 5.9 Hz, deteriorating from -0.41 at 9.0 Hz.


CONCLUSIONS
Flunarizine is useful in the treatment of vertigo caused by vestibular neuritis. VAT is a valid instrument for the objective and quantitative evaluation of the vestibular-oculomotor reflexes.
Corvera
Jorge
J
Instituto Mexicano de Otología y Neurotología, Mexico City, Mexico. bernardelli@prodigy.net.mx
Corvera-Behar
Gonzalo
G
Lapilover
Valeria
V
Ysunza
Antonio
A
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004584:Electronystagmography / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D005444:Flunarizine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008575:Meniere Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D012027:Reflex, Vestibulo-Ocular / Q000187:drug effects*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014724:Vestibular Function Tests; D020338:Vestibular Neuronitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*
D005444:Flunarizine