The interictal symptom burden in vestibular migraine-a condition in need of recognition

Vestibular migraine (VM) by current definition is an episodic vestibular disorder, yet many patients experience vestibular symptoms that persist beyond discrete attacks and extend into the interictal phase. Symptoms like head-motion intolerance, visually induced dizziness, positional vertigo, and increased susceptibility to motion sickness form an interictal symptom profile, which is often accompanied by...

Audiologists and vestibular clinicians should screen vestibular migraine patients for persistent between-attack symptoms, as the interictal burden appears clinically significant and may require separate management beyond acute-attack treatment.

Recognising that vestibular migraine causes ongoing between-attack disability — not just episodic attacks — could prompt earlier, more comprehensive management and improve quality of life for this underserved patient group.

1. 01Vestibular migraine patients experience significant vestibular symptoms between discrete attacks (interictal period).
2. 02Interictal symptom burden is poorly recognised in current clinical practice.
3. 03Study highlights a gap between actual patient experience and how the condition is typically managed.
4. 04Findings suggest current diagnostic criteria may underrepresent the full impact of vestibular migraine.
5. 05Calls for greater clinical awareness and potential reclassification of disease burden.

PMID

42164128

DOI

10.3389/fneur.2026.1800235.

Journal

Frontiers in Neurology

Publication type

research_article

Evidence level

4

Population

Patients diagnosed with vestibular migraine

Intervention

Characterisation of interictal vestibular symptom burden in vestibular migraine