The effect of external trigeminal nerve stimulation on the vestibular component correction in patients with vestibular migraine

Aim: to study the possibilities of vestibular component correction in patients with vestibular migraine using external trigeminal nerve stimulation. Patients and Methods: the study included 42 patients (32 of them women) aged 18 to 50 y.o., with established vestibular migraine. All patients underwent external trigeminal nerve stimulation. The duration of each therapeutic course was 20 minutes, the frequency was 3 times a week for 3 months. The assessment of the condition dynamics was conducted using the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI), Subjective Vestibular Assessment on a 5-point scale and Vestibular Rehabilitation Benefit Questionnaire. Results: at the first visit, the majority (77%) of patients suffered from severe dizziness, 23% of patients experienced moderate symptoms. After treatment, most patients experienced only mild symptoms of dizziness, while 31% of patients had no symptoms of dizziness. The total score for DHI before treatment was 58 (95% CI 54–63), after treatment — 19 (95% CI 16–24) (p<0,05). The median indicator of life quality deficiency according to the Vestibular Rehabilitation Benefit Questionnaire before correction of vestibular dysfunction was 57 (95% CI 51.3–64.8), after external stimulation course — 38 (95% CI 32.7–44.6) (p<0.05). Conclusion: external trigeminal nerve stimulation can be considered as an actual non-pharmacological method of vestibular dysfunction correction in patients with vestibular migraine. KEYWORDS: vestibular dysfunction, dizziness, vestibular migraine, external trigeminal nerve stimulation, life quality. FOR CITATION: Illarionova E.M., Gribova N.P. The effect of external trigeminal nerve stimulation on the vestibular component correction in patients with vestibular migraine. Russian Medical Inquiry. 2021;5(10):683–686 (in Russ.). DOI: 10.32364/2587-6821-2021-5-10-683-686.