EFFICACY OF ANTIMIGRAINOUS THERAPY IN THE TREATMENT OF MIGRAINE-ASSOCIATED DIZZINESS

Objective: To assess the effects of antimigrainous therapy on migraine -associated dizziness/vertigo. We hypothesized that a medication's abi lity to ameliorate dizziness/vertigo in this patient population would be directly correlated with its efficacy in improving headache symptom s. Study Design: Patient survey. Setting: Patients were entered into t he study from the University of California, San Diego(UCSD) Headache C linic, a tertiary care referral clinic. Patients: All patients present ing to the UCSD headache clinic are entered into its comprehensive dat abase, Patients who identified dizziness or vertigo as symptoms were e ntered into this study and were surveyed. Main Outcome Measures: Patie nts were surveyed as to the nature of their vestibular symptoms, and t he therapeutic response of these symptoms and their headaches to vario us antimigrainous medications. Patients were asked to rank therapeutic efficacy utilizing a numeric scale. These results were ten subjected to statistical analysis (Spearman rank correlation) to identify any co rrelation between the efficacies of the medications in improving heada che and dizziness/vertigo. Results: The efficacy of the medications in treating migraine-associated dizziness was directly correlated with t heir ability to alleviate headaches. Conclusion: We conclude that anti migrainous therapy may offer specific treatment to patients suffering from the spectrum of migraine-associated vestibular disorders. This wo uld include the entity known alternately as vestibular Meniere's disea se, benign recurrent vertigo, or recurrent vestibulopathy. Given the p otential benefits that may be derived from this therapy, clinicians sh ould be sensitive to a history of migraines in patients complaining of dizziness, particularly in those complaining of recurrent episodic ve rtigo.