Modern approaches to diagnosis and treatment of vestibular migraine

Vestibular migraine (VM) is a common but underdiagnosed form of migraine. The incidence of VM according to various population studies is about 3 %. Like other forms of migraines, VM is more common in women, especially of periand postmenopausal age. Apart from headaches and dizziness being the most frequent complaints to neurologists, according to the latest statistical data VM is also the most common cause of episodic vertigo. Currently, there aren’t any instrumental diagnostic methods that could confirm presence or absence of vestibular migraine. Diagnosis of this disease is based on results of clinical examination and anamnesis of the patient. Diagnostic criteria, jointly developed by the International Headache Society and the Barany Society, make it possible to diagnose probable or definitive vestibular migraine based exclusively on clinical and anamnestic data. Therapy of VM is based on the same principles as other migraines: relief of attacks and preventive therapy aimed at reducing the severity and frequency of the attacks. However, there are not enough studies on the effectiveness of classical antimigraine therapy in vestibular migraine, and currently in the medical community there are no generally accepted guidelines on treatment of this disease. Despite this, due to the accumulated experience of previous years, possibilities of vestibular migraine therapy are quite extensive and can be effectively applied in routine clinical practice of a neurologist.