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.

Quality of Life Instruments in Ménière's Disease.

Green JD, Verrall A, Gates GA

From the Jacksonville Hearing and Balance Institute (j.d.g.), Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.A.; and the Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery (a.v., g.a.g.), Virginia Merrill Bloedel Hearing Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.; Virginia Merrill Bloedel Hearing Research Center, Dept. of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.

OBJECTIVE:: Evaluate the sensitivity of quality of life (QoL) instruments over time in patients with Ménière's disease using general, symptom-specific, and disease-specific QoL instruments. STUDY DESIGN:: Prospective study using QoL instruments administered serially over 4 months in patients undergoing treatment for Ménière's disease. METHODS:: Sixty-one people aged 33 to 71 years with active, unilateral, cochleovestibular Ménière's disease refractory to medical management completed two general QoL instruments, Sense of Coherence (SOC) and World Health Organization Quality of Life-Abbreviated Version (WHOQOL-BREF), one symptom-specific QoL instrument, Vertigo Symptom Scale (VSS), and one disease-specific QoL instrument, Ménière's Disease Patient Oriented Severity Index (MDPOSI). All measures were administered at baseline and again 2 and 4 months later. RESULTS:: Disease- and symptom-specific instruments including the MDPOSI and VSS were positively correlated with vertigo control category (Pearson's R = 0.345, MDPOSI; 0.279, VSS), indicating sensitivity to the frequency of vertigo spells. These instruments were also sensitive to changes in vertigo over time. Standardized response means showed greatest responsiveness to change on the MDPOSI (0.80) and the VSS (0.79). Standardized response means for SOC and WHOQOL-BREF were 0.03, and 0.32, respectively, suggesting poor responsiveness to change of symptoms. The VSS and MDPOSIwere highly correlated (Pearson's r coefficient 0.744; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: A disease-specific QoL instrument such as the MDPOSI and a symptom-specific instrument such as the VSS more accurately reflect changes in control of vertigo in people with Ménière's disease over time than do general QoL instruments. These instruments can be used to determine the life impact of Ménière's disease and how aggressive therapy should be for the patient.

Published 1 August 2007 in Laryngoscope.
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