AUTHOR=Choi Seo-Young , Cho Jae Wook , Choi Jae-Hwan , Oh Eun Hye , Choi Kwang-Dong 

TITLE=Effect of the Epley Maneuver and Brandt-Daroff Exercise on Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo Involving the Posterior Semicircular Canal Cupulolithiasis: A Randomized Clinical Trial

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Neurology

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neurology/articles/10.3389/fneur.2020.603541

DOI=10.3389/fneur.2020.603541

ISSN=1664-2295

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Objective:</bold> To investigate the therapeutic efficacies of the Epley maneuver and Brandt-Daroff (BD) exercise in patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo involving the posterior semicircular canal cupulolithiasis (PC-BPPV-cu).</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold> We conducted a randomized clinical trial to evaluate the therapeutic effect of the Epley maneuver and BD exercise in patients with PC-BPPV-cu. Patients were randomly assigned to undergo the Epley maneuver (<italic>n</italic> = 29) or BD exercise (<italic>n</italic> = 33). The primary outcome was an immediate resolution of positional nystagmus within 1 h after a single treatment of each maneuver on the visit day. Secondary outcomes included the resolution of positional nystagmus at 1 week, the change of maximal slow phase velocity (mSPV) of positional nystagmus, and dizziness handicap inventory (DHI) immediately and at 1 week.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> Immediate resolution occurred in none of 29 patients in the Epley maneuver group and only 1 of 33 patients in the BD exercise group. The Epley maneuver and BD exercise had an equivalent effect at 1 week in treating PC-BPPV-cu in terms of resolving positional nystagmus (48 vs. 36%, <italic>p</italic> = 0.436) and the decrease of mSPV and DHI.</p><p><bold>Conclusion:</bold> Neither the Epley maneuver nor BD exercise has an immediate therapeutic effect in treating PC-BPPV-cu. Clear classification of PC-BPPV should be required at the time of different pathology and different treatment response.</p>