Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV): Influence of pharmacotherapy and rehabilitation therapy on patients' recovery rate and life quality

Abstract

This prospective clinical study includes 96 BPPV patients with the results of DHI testing ≥ 40 points. They were segregated to be taken into this study and randomly divided into two therapy groups: 48 patients in Group I were treated pharmacotherapeutically with Betahistine Chloride (BC) and 48 patients in Group II underwent a rehabilitation treatment by performing an Epley maneuver. Total study duration was eight weeks, during which the patients were first examined upon arrival, checked after one, and rechecked after eight weeks. The tests included otoneurological examination and VNG, as well as completing three questionnaires: DHI, SF-36®, and HADS®. During the first checkup after one week, 86.96% of patients in Group I and 93.33% in Group II had negative results at the Dix-Hallpike test. During the second checkup after an eight weeks' treatment, 95.65% in Group I and 97.78% patients in Group II had a negative result. At the beginning of the study, the values of patients' physical, emotional, and functional health (QoL) were equally distributed in both therapy groups, compared to standardized values of healthy population. During the first checkup, the values were significantly higher and by the second checkup, reached the statistic average, which corresponds with the healthy population. There was an obviously faster and more complete recovery of the patients in Group II, who underwent a rehabilitation treatment.