We have located links that may give you full text access.
Journal Article
Review
Central vertigo and dizziness: epidemiology, differential diagnosis, and common causes.
Neurologist 2008 November
BACKGROUND: Dizziness is a common complaint among patients seen by primary care physicians, neurologists, and otolaryngologists. The most common causes of dizziness are peripheral vestibular disorders, but central nervous system disorders must be excluded. This article provides an overview of the epidemiology of dizziness, differentiating between central and peripheral vertigo, and central causes of dizziness.
REVIEW SUMMARY: Dizziness is among the most common complaints in medicine, affecting approximately 20% to 30% of persons in the general population. Dizziness is a general term for a sense of disequilibrium. Vertigo is a subtype of dizziness, defined as an illusion of movement caused by asymmetric involvement of the vestibular system. Central vestibular lesions affecting the pons, medulla, or cerebellum cause vertigo, nausea, vomiting, severe ataxia, multidirectional nystagmus that is not suppressed by optic fixation, and other neurologic signs. The other types of dizziness are dysequilibrium without vertigo, presyncope, and psychophysiologic dizziness, which is often associated with anxiety, depression, and panic disorder.
CONCLUSIONS: Epidemiologic studies indicate that central causes are responsible for almost one-fourth of the dizziness experience by patients. The patient's history, neurologic examination, and imaging studies are usually the key to differentiation of peripheral and central causes of vertigo. The most common central causes of dizziness and vertigo are cerebrovascular disorders related to the vertebrobasilar circulation, migraine, multiple sclerosis, tumors of the posterior fossa, neurodegenerative disorders, some drugs, and psychiatric disorders.
REVIEW SUMMARY: Dizziness is among the most common complaints in medicine, affecting approximately 20% to 30% of persons in the general population. Dizziness is a general term for a sense of disequilibrium. Vertigo is a subtype of dizziness, defined as an illusion of movement caused by asymmetric involvement of the vestibular system. Central vestibular lesions affecting the pons, medulla, or cerebellum cause vertigo, nausea, vomiting, severe ataxia, multidirectional nystagmus that is not suppressed by optic fixation, and other neurologic signs. The other types of dizziness are dysequilibrium without vertigo, presyncope, and psychophysiologic dizziness, which is often associated with anxiety, depression, and panic disorder.
CONCLUSIONS: Epidemiologic studies indicate that central causes are responsible for almost one-fourth of the dizziness experience by patients. The patient's history, neurologic examination, and imaging studies are usually the key to differentiation of peripheral and central causes of vertigo. The most common central causes of dizziness and vertigo are cerebrovascular disorders related to the vertebrobasilar circulation, migraine, multiple sclerosis, tumors of the posterior fossa, neurodegenerative disorders, some drugs, and psychiatric disorders.
Full text links
Related Resources
Trending Papers
Interstitial Lung Disease: A Review.JAMA 2024 April 23
Review article: Recent advances in ascites and acute kidney injury management in cirrhosis.Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics 2024 March 26
Executive Summary: State-of-the-Art Review: Unintended Consequences: Risk of Opportunistic Infections Associated with Long-term Glucocorticoid Therapies in Adults.Clinical Infectious Diseases 2024 April 11
Clinical practice guidelines on the management of status epilepticus in adults: A systematic review.Epilepsia 2024 April 13
Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university
For the best experience, use the Read mobile app
All material on this website is protected by copyright, Copyright © 1994-2024 by WebMD LLC.
This website also contains material copyrighted by 3rd parties.
By using this service, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy.
Your Privacy Choices
You can now claim free CME credits for this literature searchClaim now
Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university
For the best experience, use the Read mobile app