Do vestibular loss patients who complain of subjective cognitive impairments actually have objective cognitive impairments? An exploratory study

Abstract

Introduction Studies that have investigated cognitive and emotional problems in patients with bilateral vestibular loss have typically used questionnaires, with these regularly showing significant increased complaints compared to control participants. However, currently, no research has explored the specific link between these subjective complaints and objective cognitive assessments. Material and methods In the present study, we compared patient's subjective responses to three subjective questionnaires, the Dizziness Handicap Inventory, the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale, and the Neuropsychological Vertigo Inventory to an objective extended neuropsychological assessment battery. We tested 13 patients with bilateral vestibular loss and 13 age and sex matched controls on the same assessments. Data analyses were performed using between groups ANOVA, with various independent variables associated with the different measures. Results The results showed a clear difference between groups for the subjective measures, replicating previous research, and showing that vestibular patients present more subjective cognitive complaints than matched controls. However, interestingly, results on the objective neuropsychological measures failed to show statistically significant effects. Discussion These preliminary results suggest that even if patients believe that they have reduced cognition caused by their vestibular deficits, it remains challenging to demonstrate the effects using simple (standard) objective cognitive measures. We discuss the mismatch in results in terms of cognitive specificity, complexity and compensation. We propose that the objective measures may more likely show effects if combined with a dual task, or by performing complex imagery tasks, adding strain to cognitive resources.