Elevated interictal plasma CGRP in Meniere's disease: A headache-independent candidate biomarker distinguishing Meniere's disease from vestibular migraine

To test whether interictal plasma or salivary calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) distinguishes Ménière disease (MD) from vestibular migraine (VM), chronic migraine (CM), and healthy controls (HC).MethodsAdults with MD ( n = 53), VM ( n = 81), CM ( n = 73), and HC ( n = 59) provided morning interictal plasma and saliva. CGRP was measured in duplicate by ELISA....

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Plasma CGRP measurement between episodes shows early promise as a differentiating biomarker for Ménière's disease versus vestibular migraine, but requires validation in larger prospective cohorts before influencing clinical diagnostic protocols.

A reliable blood-based biomarker distinguishing Ménière's disease from vestibular migraine would address one of audiology and neurotology's most persistent diagnostic challenges and could reshape referral and management pathways.

1. 01Interictal (between-attack) plasma CGRP was elevated in Ménière's disease versus vestibular migraine.
2. 02CGRP elevation was independent of headache, suggesting a disease-specific rather than migraine-driven signal.
3. 03Salivary CGRP was also measured but plasma appears to be the more informative specimen.
4. 04Study positions CGRP as a candidate—not yet validated—diagnostic biomarker.
5. 05Differentiating Ménière's disease from vestibular migraine remains a significant clinical challenge.

PMID

42640030

DOI

10.1177/09574271261481044.

Journal

Cephalalgia

Publication type

research_article

Evidence level

2b

Population

Adults with Ménière's disease, vestibular migraine, and chronic migraine assessed during interictal (between-attack) periods.

Intervention

Measurement of interictal plasma and salivary CGRP levels

Comparator

Vestibular migraine and chronic migraine patient groups