Association of Alzheimer's Disease With Peripheral Vestibular Disorder: A Case–Control Study

Abstract

ObjectivesVestibular disorders can impact cognitive domains, including spatial orientation and memory, which are also affected in Alzheimer's disease. This study aimed to examine the association between Alzheimer's disease and a prior diagnosis of peripheral vestibular disorders in the elderly Taiwanese population.MethodsThe case–control study sample was retrieved from Taiwan's Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2010. We included 3138 cases with Alzheimer's disease and 9414 propensity‐matched controls. We conducted multivariable logistic regression modeling to investigate the association between Alzheimer's disease and a prior diagnosis of peripheral vestibular disorders after accounting for sociodemographic characteristics and medical comorbidities including diabetes, coronary heart disease, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and hearing loss.ResultsThe results revealed a statistically significant difference in the prevalence of prior peripheral vestibular disorders between patients with Alzheimer's disease and controls; 20.6% among patients with Alzheimer's disease and 11.4% among controls (p < 0.001). Multivariable logistic regression analysis found that patients with Alzheimer's disease were twice as likely as controls to have had a prior diagnosis of peripheral vestibular disorders, adjusted odds ratio 2.040 (95% confidence interval: 1.829–2.274).ConclusionsThe findings suggest the possibility of shared or related pathophysiological pathways in Alzheimer's disease and vestibular dysfunction disorders.Level of Evidence3 Laryngoscope, 2024