Motorist Vestibular Disorientation Syndrome

Abstract

The normal vestibular system may be adversely affected by environmental challenges. A disordered vestibular system lends susceptibility even to quotidian environmental experiences as the suffered becomes dependent on potentially misleading nonvestibular stimuli. Equilibrium is the ability of an individual to maintain posture as well as spatial orientation at rest and during movement. Vision, proprioception, and vestibular system are important components for making equilibrium of the body at rest and movement. Driving is a complex task for a motorist where a driver or passenger faces a dynamic environment of modern highways, bends, turns, and bridges. The vestibular system plays a vital role in the spatial navigation and orientation of motorists during driving. Patients of motorist vestibular disorientation syndrome (MVDS) manifest multiple morbid symptoms, which are often a challenge to modern vehicle drivers or passengers. MVDS can also occur secondary to other vestibular disorders such as vestibular migraine, persistent postural perceptual dizziness, and visual vertigo. MVDS is a lesser-known clinical entity among clinicians. Difficulty driving may be a real-world manifestation of impaired spatial cognition associated with vestibular loss. There is scarce knowledge about this disorder in the medical literature. Here, this review article intends to document the etiopathology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and treatment of MVDS. This review article discusses the epidemiology, putative mechanisms, clinical presentations, triggering factors, diagnosis, and treatment of MVDS.