P128: Peripheral and Central Vertigo: Confounding Factors

Abstract

METHODS: Some 38 consecutive tinnitus patients were enrolled from May to September 2004 (22 female; mean age 55.9 years). In a test situation, they performed 9 maneuvers of head and neck muscle contraction, each one for 5 seconds. Except for the first maneuver, all were performed with moderate counter-resistance applied by the patients themselves: 1. forced mandible occlusion; 2. counter-resistance to the pressure of the occipit; 3. counter-resistance to the pressure on forehead; 4. counter-resistance to the pressure on vertex; 5. counter-resistance to the mandible pressure; 6. counter-resistance to right temporal pressure; 7. counter-resistance to left temporal pressure; 8. head rotation to the right with resistance over the right zygoma; and 9. head rotation to the left with resistance over the left zygoma. Retest was applied 7 days later by the same professional. RESULTS: In the test situation, 57.9% experienced tinnitus modulation during at least one muscle contraction (77.3% worsened, 18.2% improved and 4.5% improved on one side and worsened on the other). During the retest, 63.2% patients reported tinnitus modulation after at least one maneuver (58.3% worsened, 29.2% improved and 12.5% improved on one side and worsened on the other). CONCLUSIONS: There was an agreement between test and retest of tinnitus modulation using head and neck muscle contraction maneuvers, which shows the reliability of this tool.