The Prevalence of Symptom Reporting for Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo in a Traumatic Brain Injury Population

Objective: To assess the prevalence of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) in traumatic brain injury population.

Study design: In this cross-sectional design, each subject completed screening for BPPV, which included subjective questioning and positional testing. Subjects were asked if they experienced dizziness with bed mobility. All were tested with the Dix-Hallpike and the roll test to determine if nystagmus consistent with BPPV was present.

Setting: Brain injury inpatient rehabilitation unit.

Participants: Subjects admitted to the rehabilitation unit during a 6-month time frame who had a traumatic mechanism of brain injury or experienced a fall resulting from a neurologic event.

Interventions: Diagnostic interventions included the Dix-Hallpike and roll tests.

Main measures: The primary outcomes of this study were the prevalence of BPPV and symptom reports.

Results: Seventy-six subjects met the inclusion criteria. Three subjects were transferred to acute care before screening for BPPV could be completed. Of the 73 subjects who completed the screening process, 42 (58%) tested positive for BPPV, of which only 7 (10%) reported subjective symptoms of dizziness and/or vertigo. χ2 Analysis of the two screening methods demonstrated a statistically significant difference in the positivity rate between tests (χ21 = 5.715, p = 0.017, Cohen's W = 0.279). If subjects responded yes to both screening questions, they were significantly more likely to test positive for BPPV with a moderate effect size of 0.279.

Conclusion: There was a high prevalence of BPPV within an inpatient rehabilitation facility in subjects with traumatic brain injury, with a small percentage of patients reporting dizziness with subjective questioning.