Electronystagmography in migraine equivalent syndrome.

Abstract

The aim of the study was to determine the efficacy of electronystagmography testing in the diagnosis of vertigo in children with migraine equivalent syndrome. The investigation included 20 children with "migraine equivalent syndrome" (group A), characterized by benign paroxysmal vertigo of childhood. As a control group, 50 healthy children were identified. All the subjects underwent rotatory vestibular stimulation by stop test, optokinetic stimulation, and simultaneous postrotatory vestibular and optokinetic stimulations (VVOR). For the analysis of the results, we considered nystagmus mean gain and direction of visual-vestibular-ocular-reflex (VVOR) nystagmus. In group A, all the children presented a VVOR nystagmus homodirectional to vestibular-ocular reflex (VOR). In the control group, all the subjects presented a VVOR nystagmus homodirectional to optokinetic nystagmus (OKN). In the healthy patients, VVOR nystagmus is always homodirectional to OKN and indicates the optokinetic system prevalence on VOR. The presence of a VVOR nystagmus homodirectional to VOR indicates the absence of the optokinetic system prevalence due to a central nervous system (CNS) modification and highlights a CNS disease. Our data highlight a possible correlation between CNS disorders and migraine equivalent syndrome.