TREATMENT OF CENTRAL VESTIBULOPATHIC VERTIGO WITH FUNCTIONAL NEUROLOGY PROTOCOLS
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1
Life University, United States
Background: A middle aged businessman presented to a functional neurology clinic with increasing symptoms of imbalance, vertigo, headaches, brain fog, cervicalgia, and photophobia. These symptoms had started abruptly three years earlier with unknown etiology. Previously, he had been treated with vestibular and spinal manipulative therapy without sustained results. He had experienced trauma to the head several years earlier.
Methods: Computerized Dynamic Posturography (CDP) testing evidenced scores that were below normal for stability on a perturbed surface throughout all head positions. The patient was unable to hold gaze in all directions. His pursuits had saccadic intrusions and his saccades were hypometric in all directions. These aberrant eye movements were confirmed on Videonystagmography (VNG). Optokinetic (OPK) testing showed aberrant nystagmus, characterized by small amplitude and missing targets to downward stimulation Dix-Hallpike maneuver of anterior canals bilaterally provoked a nystagmus response. Gait analysis revealed marked anterior pitch with shuffling of the feet and decreased right arm swing. The patient was treated 3-4 times per day, every day, for the duration of one week. Treatment included gaze stabilization therapies, near-far exercises, saccadic protocols, right brain eye exercises, complex arm and leg movements and whole body off-vertical axis rotation.
Results: Vertigo and imbalance decreased from 8 to 4 on a 1 to 10 scale. His cervicalgia completely resolved. All other symptoms improved significantly. Post CDP findings showed stability scores within normal limits. His pursuits were smooth, his saccades were less hypometric and downward stimulation OPK nystagmus was closer to normal, having increased amplitude and missed fewer targets. There was a return of normal gait without pitch or shuffling and he had normal arm swing.
Conclusion: The positive outcomes in this case may be the result of the specific therapies applied rather than generalized vestibular treatments. Further research into specifically applied vestibular therapies is warranted.
Keywords:
Chiropractic Treatment,
Functional Neurology,
vestibulopathy,
Vertigo,
balance
Conference:
International Symposium on Clinical Neuroscience: TBI and Neurodegeneration, Orlando, Florida, United States, 10 Dec - 14 Dec, 2015.
Presentation Type:
Poster Presentation
Topic:
Case Reports for Poster Presentation
Citation:
Esposito
SE,
Gordon
YR and
Mullin Elkins
L
(2015). TREATMENT OF CENTRAL VESTIBULOPATHIC VERTIGO WITH FUNCTIONAL NEUROLOGY PROTOCOLS.
Front. Neurol.
Conference Abstract:
International Symposium on Clinical Neuroscience: TBI and Neurodegeneration.
doi: 10.3389/conf.fneur.2015.58.00025
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Received:
31 Oct 2015;
Published Online:
02 Nov 2015.
*
Correspondence:
Dr. Susan E Esposito, Life University, Marietta, United States, susanesposito@gmail.com