Vertigo Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Vertigo, including details on causes, symptoms, treatment, dizziness.

Is psychogenic dizziness the exact diagnosis?

Ardıç FN, Ateşci FC

Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Pamukkale Universitesi Hastanesi, KBB Klinigi, Doktorlar cad, 20010, Denizli, Turkey, fnardic@pamukkale.edu.tr.

The main goal of the study is to determine the exact ratio of pure psychogenic dizziness. Patients from vertigo outpatient clinic were evaluated by SCL-90 R questionnaire, interviews, vestibular tests and magnetic resonance imaging (when needed). Five hundred and eighteen patients were evaluated for this study. While 45.2% of the patients have at least one abnormal psychogenic scale (somatization, obsessive-compulsiveness, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety etc.), only 9% of the patients were diagnosed as psychogenic dizziness according to the interview. One percent of 518 had no organic cause for dizziness and also diagnosed as pure psychogenic dizziness. Our results suggest that patients with dizziness need to be evaluated by psychological tests routinely and patients with high-test scores must consult a psychiatrist who is familiar with dizziness symptomatology.

Published 12 June 2006 in Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol, 263(6): 578-581.
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