Vestibular syndromes after COVID-19 vaccination: A prospective cohort study.
Eur J Neurol
; 29(12): 3693-3700, 2022 12.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2019250
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:
Dizziness and vertigo are common symptoms after COVID-19-vaccination. We aimed to prospectively evaluate objective central or peripheral vestibular function in patients with dizziness, vertigo, and postural symptoms that started or worsened after COVID-19-vaccination.METHODS:
Of 4137 patients who presented between January 2021 and April 2022 at the German Center for Vertigo and Balance Disorders, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, we identified 72 patients (mean age = 47 years) with enduring vestibular symptoms following COVID-19 vaccination. All underwent medical history-taking, and neurological and neuro-otological workup with bithermal caloric test, video head-impulse test, orthoptics, and audiometry. Diagnoses were based on international criteria. The distribution of diagnoses was compared to a cohort of 39,964 patients seen before the COVID-19 pandemic.RESULTS:
Symptom onset was within the first 4 weeks postvaccination. The most prevalent diagnoses were somatoform vestibular disorders (34.7%), vestibular migraine (19.4%), and overlap syndromes of both (18.1%). These disorders were significantly overrepresented compared to the prepandemic control cohort. Thirty-six percent of patients with somatoform complaints reported a positive history of depressive or anxiety disorders. Nine patients presented with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, three with acute unilateral vestibulopathy, and seven with different entities (vestibular paroxysmia, Ménière disease, polyneuropathy, ocular muscular paresis). Causally related central vestibular deficits were lacking. Novel peripheral vestibular deficits were found in four patients.CONCLUSIONS:
Newly induced persistent vestibular deficits following COVID-19 vaccination were rare. The predominant causes of prolonged vestibular complaints were somatoform vestibular disorders and vestibular migraine, possibly triggered or aggravated by stress-related circumstances due to the COVID-19 pandemic or vaccination. An increase of other central or peripheral vestibular syndromes after COVID-19 vaccination was not observed.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Vestibular Diseases
/
COVID-19
/
Migraine Disorders
Type of study:
Cohort study
/
Experimental Studies
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
Topics:
Long Covid
/
Vaccines
/
Variants
Limits:
Humans
/
Middle aged
Language:
English
Journal:
Eur J Neurol
Journal subject:
Neurology
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Ene.15546
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