Treatments for Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)

Summary

The purpose of this study was to determine the relative short- and long-term efficacy of several physical treatment paradigms commonly employed for the treatment of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), including the canalith repositioning (Epley) maneuver, the liberatory (Semont) maneuver, the Brandt-Daroff exercises and nonspecific vestibular habituation exercises. These procedures involve exercises and head manipulations. Vertigo intensity and frequency, the presence/absence of slow-phase eye movements, the degree of dizziness handicap and acts of daily living (ADL) were assessed. The study also ascertained the effects of co-morbid conditions on the response to treatment. While BPPV is a common and significant public health problem that has been recognized for several decades, this is the first systematic study of the relative treatment efficacy of different physical treatment modalities for this disorder.

Conditions

• Vertigo

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Canalith repositioning maneuver (Epley maneuver)

Standard passive motion of the head: Dix-Hallpike maneuver, turn head to opposite side, roll over, sit up.

BEHAVIORAL

Semont maneuver

Sidelying maneuver, flip over 180 deg, sit up.

BEHAVIORAL

Brandt-Daroff exercises

Active exercise. Sidelying to involved side, sidelying to uninvolved side, sit up.

BEHAVIORAL

Vestibular habituation exercises

Head shaking exercises in pitch, roll, yaw and circumduction. Titrating from 2 repetitions per exercise to 20 repetitions per exercise, as tolerated.

BEHAVIORAL

ShamManeuver

Passive movement of the head

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)

  collaborator NIH

• Baylor College of Medicine

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Helen Cohen, EdD · Baylor College of Medicine

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Eligibility

Min Age

21 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

1998-10-31

Primary Completion

2003-06-30

Completion

2003-06-30

Countries

• United States

Study Locations