Sleep Disturbance in Vestibular Migraine and Meniere's Disease: A Comparative Analysis

Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2024 Nov 4. doi: 10.1002/ohn.1049. Online ahead of print.

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the differences in the prevalence of sleep disturbance between vestibular migraine (VM) and Meniere's disease (MD), and to determine whether poor sleep quality is correlated with dizziness handicap.

Study design: Observational prospective study.

Setting: Tertiary Academic Medical Center.

Methods: Patients diagnosed with VM, MD, and healthy controls completed the Mini Sleep Questionnaire (MSQ), which comprises 10 items assessing sleep quality. The MSQ total score was calculated by summing the scores of each item. The Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) was used to evaluate the physical, emotional, and functional impacts of dizziness on daily life.

Results: A total of 87 participants (35 with VM, 39 with MD, and 13 healthy controls) were enrolled. Both the VM and MD groups had significantly higher MSQ total scores than the control group (P < .001). The VM group exhibited a higher prevalence of "difficulty falling asleep" (P = .015) and "headaches on awakening" (P = .012) than the MD group. Additionally, the MSQ total score was significantly correlated with the DHI total score in VM patients (P = .001, r = .518). VM patients with severe dizziness handicap had significantly higher MSQ total scores than those with mild handicap (P = .005).

Conclusion: This study highlights the high prevalence of sleep disturbance in both VM and MD patients. The severity of sleep disturbance is correlated with dizziness handicap in VM patients, emphasizing the importance of assessing sleep quality and promoting good sleep habits in the management of VM.

Keywords: Meniere's disease; dizziness handicap; insomnia; sleep disturbance; vestibular migraine.