Web-Based Treatment Effective for Vertigo

According to a recently published study appearing in JAMA Neurology, self-treatment of recurrent benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) using online resources can be efficacious. A higher percentage of participants in the study who used the web-based platform for BPPV reported resolution of their vertigo compared with those in the control group (72.4% vs 42.9%) according to an intention to treat analysis (x2 test: 95% CI, 0.13-0.46; P<.001).

In this randomized, controlled, parallel-group, double-blind trial in South Korea, participants with confirmed BPPV received access to an online platform to use when they experienced a recurrence of vertigo symptoms. Participants in the treatment group (n=292) first received a questionnaire on the platform to help determine the subtype of BPPV being experienced before receiving a video to guide the participant through self-administration of the canalith repositioning maneuver (CRM). Those in the control group (n=293) did not receive the questionnaire, only video instructions for CRM based on their baseline BPPV diagnosis. Use of the platform was monitored by researchers, and the cohorts were followed for 2 years.

Most of the patients (80.7%, n=88) used the online platform without assistance. Participants who couldn't use the platform without help were older (mean age, 68.2 vs 58.0 years). Reported adverse events were nausea, vomiting, or mild headache. There were no reported falls related to the independently performed CRM.

According to researchers, “Application of the web-based diagnosis and treatment system for the management of BPPV would greatly reduce the medical costs and social burden related to this highly prevalent and recurrent vestibular disorder.”