[Clinical and psychological features in patients with incident and recurrent cases of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo].

OBJECTIVE

To assess the clinical and psychological features in patients with incident and recurrent posterior canal BPPV.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The study included 47 patients (mean age 49.1±10.9 years; 12.8% of men and 87.2% of women) with idiopathic BPPV, posterior canal. According to the anamnesis, the patients were divided into two groups: 27 (57.4%) patients with incident BPPV (iBPPV) and 20 (42.6%) patients with recurrent BPPV (rBPPV). All patients were treated with repositioning Epley and/or Semont maneuvers until resolution of canalolithiasis. After that, clinical and psychological testing was immediately carried out, including short version of Vertigo Symptom Scale (VSS), Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI), Visual analogue scale (VAS) for fear of vertigo spells, Depersonalization-Derealization Inventory (DDI), Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS) of Holmes and Rahe, Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI), Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ).

RESULTS

Patients with rBPPV compared with iBPPV had more severe symptoms of dizziness according to DHI (=0.02) due to a functional and emotional subscales, as well as a more pronounced feeling of fear according to VAS (=0.01). The data obtained on the remaining scales and questionnaires did not show statistically significant differences between the groups. The revealed results may indicate a greater predisposition of patients with rBPPV to the development of a special kind of mental disorders - functional dizziness or persistent postural-perceptual dizziness, which requires additional study and development of preventive measures.