Symptomatic recovery after acute vestibular neuritis (VN) is variable, with around 50% of patients reporting long term vestibular symptoms; hence, it is essential to identify factors related to poor clinical outcome. Here we investigated whether excessive reliance on visual input for spatial orientation (visual dependence) was associated with long term vestibular symptoms following acute VN. Twenty-eight patients with VN and 25 normal control subjects were included. Patients were enrolled at least 6 months after acute illness. Recovery status was not a criterion for study entry, allowing recruitment of patients with a full range of persistent symptoms. We measured visual dependence with a laptop-based Rod-and-Disk Test and severity of symptoms with the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI). The third of patients showing the worst clinical outcomes (mean DHI score 36–80) had significantly greater visual dependence than normal subjects (6.35° error vs. 3.39° respectively, p = 0.03). Asymptomatic patients and those with minor residual symptoms did not differ from controls. Visual dependence was associated with high levels of persistent vestibular symptoms after acute VN. Over-reliance on visual information for spatial orientation is one characteristic of poorly recovered vestibular neuritis patients. The finding may be clinically useful given that visual dependence may be modified through rehabilitation desensitization techniques.

Ménière's disease is characterised by severe vertigo attacks and hearing loss. Intratympanic gentamicin, the standard treatment for refractory Ménière's disease, reduces vertigo, but damages vestibular function and can worsen hearing. We aimed to assess whether intratympanic administration of the corticosteroid methylprednisolone reduces vertigo compared with gentamicin. In this double-blind comparative effectiveness trial, patients aged 18-70 years with refractory unilateral Ménière's disease were enrolled at Charing Cross Hospital (London, UK) and Leicester Royal Infirmary (Leicester, UK). Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) by a block design to two intratympanic methylprednisolone (62·5 mg/mL) or gentamicin (40 mg/mL) injections given 2 weeks apart, and were followed up for 2 years. All investigators and patients were masked to treatment allocation. The primary outcome was vertigo frequency over the final 6 months (18-24 months after injection) compared with the 6 months before the first injection. Analyses were done in the intention-to-treat population, and then per protocol. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00802529. Between June 19, 2009, and April 15, 2013, 256 patients with Ménière's disease were screened, 60 of whom were enrolled and randomly assigned: 30 to gentamicin and 30 to methylprednisolone. In the intention-to-treat analysis (ie, all 60 patients), the mean number of vertigo attacks in the final 6 months compared with the 6 months before the first injection (primary outcome) decreased from 19·9 (SD 16·7) to 2·5 (5·8) in the gentamicin group (87% reduction) and from 16·4 (12·5) to 1·6 (3·4) in the methylprednisolone group (90% reduction; mean difference -0·9, 95% CI -3·4 to 1·6). Patients whose vertigo did not improve after injection (ie, non-responders) after being assessed by an unmasked clinician were eligible for additional injections given by a masked clinician (eight patients in the gentamicin group vs 15 in the methylprednisolone group). Two non-responders switched from methylprednisolone to gentamicin. Both drugs were well tolerated with no safety concerns. Six patients reported one adverse event each: three in the gentamicin group and three in the methylprednisolone group. The most common adverse event was minor ear infections, which was experienced by one patient in the gentamicin group and two in the methylprednisolone group. Methylprednisolone injections are a non-ablative, effective treatment for refractory Ménière's disease. The choice between methylprednisolone and gentamicin should be made based on clinical knowledge and patient circumstances. Ménière's Society and National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre.

Patients with chronic vestibular symptoms are common in neurological practice but the most effective treatment remains an open question. The purpose of our study was to conduct a controlled, between–group comparison of patients’ responses to a customised exercise regime (Group C, for customised) versus treatment additionally incorporating simulator based desensitisation exposure (Group S, for simulator) integrating whole–body or visual environment rotators. Forty chronic peripheral vestibular patients who had previously undergone conventional vestibular rehabilitation without notable improvement were randomly assigned into Group C or S. Individuals attended therapy sessions twice weekly for eight weeks and were provided with a customised home programme. Response to treatment was assessed at four–week intervals with dynamic posturography, vestibular time constants, and questionnaires concerning symptoms, symptom–triggers and emotional status. At final assessment posturography and subjective scores had significantly improved for both groups, although Group S showed greater improvement. A statistically significant improvement for visual vertigo symptom scores was noted only for Group S (p < 0.01; total improvement 53.5 %). Anxiety and depression levels significantly decreased for both groups; improvements were significantly correlated particularly to improvements in visual vertigo (SCQ) (p < 0.01; r = 0.53 and r = 0.57, respectively). Significant differences were noted between groups (p = 0.02) for posturography scores. Vestibular time constants showed no notable change in either group. Conclusions: Both groups improved but exposure to simulator motion gave overall better results. These effects were also observed in psychological symptoms and partly relate to simulator effects on visual vertigo symptoms. Visual motion and visuo–vestibular conflict situations should be incorporated in the rehabilitation of patients with refractory dizziness.

We sought to identify predictors of symptomatic recovery in vestibular neuritis. Forty VN patients were prospectively studied in the acute phase (median = 2 days) and 32 in the recovery phase (median = 10 weeks) with vestibulo‐ocular reflex, vestibular‐perceptual, and visual dependence tests and psychological questionnaires. Clinical outcome was Dizziness Handicap Inventory score at recovery phase. Acute visual dependency and autonomic arousal predicted outcome. Worse recovery was associated with a combination of increased visual dependence, autonomic arousal, anxiety/depression, and fear of bodily sensations, but not with vestibular variables. Findings highlight the importance of early identification of abnormal visual dependency and concurrent anxiety.