title: Why does vertigo become chronic after neuropathia vestibularis?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Vertigo is one of the most frequent complaints in general medical practice and is often linked to psychiatric disorders. A longitudinal study of 67 patients with an acute vestibular disorder was undertaken to clarify if, after experiencing acute vestibular vertigo, certain patients have a higher likelihood of developing chronic, debilitating dizziness despite no evidence of a damaged peripheral vestibular system.
  
  
  METHODS
  The severity of dizziness was determined in 67 patients with vestibular neuronitis, 6 months after their release from hospital, using the Vertigo Symptom Scale from Yardley et al. The intensity of anxiety directly after vertigo was experienced, body-related cognitions, illness coping, personality structure, and the recovery of the organ of equilibrium were recorded in order to explain the severity of vertigo that occurred after 6 months. The function of the organ of equilibrium was assessed by using a caloric test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Over a period of 6 months, 13 of the 67 patients (19.4%) reported continuing dizziness after neuropathia vestibularis. Eleven of the 13 patients showed high scores on a scale for measuring vertigo-related symptoms, which can be interpreted as being equivalent to anxiety. The variables of gender, catastrophic thoughts and a dependent personality accounted for 35% of why vertigo became chronic.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Neuropathia vestibularis represents a risk factor for the development of chronic vertigo. Chronic vertigo after neuropathia vestibularis appears to be equivalent to anxiety and is partly conditional on catastrophic thoughts at the beginning.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Free University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany. f.godemann@alexius.de
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Godemann
authors.forename: Christiane
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Koffroth
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Neu
authors.forename: Isabella
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Heuser
mesh_terms: D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D002150:Caloric Tests; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004244:Dizziness / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases; D010551:Personality / Q000145:classification; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D018626:Retroelements; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors; D014717:Vertigo / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D020338:Vestibular Neuronitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology
chemical_list: D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D018626:Retroelements; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases; C063089:Copia protein, Drosophila