Challenges and Current Research Status of Vertigo/Vestibular Diseases

Book excerpt: Vertigo or vestibular disorders have become a common handicap across the globe, which poses a great burden on health care resources. Vertigo is not a disease entity per se, but rather a leading symptom of many etiologically different diseases. These conditions include dysfunction of the vestibular system, both peripheral (inner ear, vestibular nerve) and central (brainstem, cerebellum), functional dizziness, and diseases of other causes, including blood pressure regulation disorders, such as orthostatic dizziness, and adverse drug reactions. Previous studies demonstrated that vestibular disorders might be a modifiable condition and a possible target for secondary prevention of cognitive impairment due to aging, dementia, social isolation, late-life depression, frailty, and increased risk of mortality.