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Vertigo, a specific type of dizziness, is a major symptom of a balance disorder. It is the sensation of spinning or swaying while the body is stationary with respect to the earth or surroundings. There are two types of vertigo: subjective and objective. Subjective vertigo is when a person feels a false sensation of movement. Objective vertigo is when the surroundings will appear to move past a person's field of vision. Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... Many different terms are often used to describe what is collectively known as dizziness. ... Balance is the result of a number of body systems working together. ...

The effects of vertigo may be slight. It can cause nausea and vomiting and, if severe, may give rise to difficulty with standing and walking. For other uses, see Nausea (disambiguation). ... Heaving redirects here. ...

The word "vertigo" comes from the Latin "vertere", to turn + the suffix "-igo", a condition = a condition of turning about.^[1] For other uses, see Latins and Latin (disambiguation). ...

Causes of vertigo

Vertigo is usually associated with a problem in the inner ear balance mechanisms (vestibular system), in the brain, or with the nerve connections between these two organs. Inner ear The inner ear is the bony labyrinth, a system of passages comprising two main functional parts: the organ of hearing, or cochlea and the vestibular apparatus, the organ of balance that consists of three semicircular canals and the vestibule. ... The vestibular system, or balance system, is the sensory system that provides the dominant input about movement and equilibrioception. ... For other uses, see Brain (disambiguation). ...

The most common cause of vertigo is benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, or BPPV. Vertigo can be a symptom of an inner ear infection. Vertigo can be a symptom of an underlying harmless cause, such as in BPPV or it can suggest more serious problems. These include drug toxicities (specifically gentamicin), strokes or tumors (though these are much less common than BPPV), and syphilis. Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is a condition caused by problems in the inner ear. ... Gentamicin is an aminoglycoside antibiotic, and can treat many types of bacterial infections, particularly Gram-negative infection. ... For other uses, see Stroke (disambiguation). ... Tumor (American English) or tumour (British English) originally means swelling, and is sometimes still used with that meaning. ...

Vertigo can also be brought on suddenly through various actions or incidents, such as skull fractures or brain trauma, sudden changes of blood pressure, or as a symptom of motion sickness while sailing, riding amusement rides, airplanes or in a motor vehicle. Vertigo can also be caused by Carbon Monoxide poisoning. It is also one of the more common symptoms of superior canal dehiscence syndrome and Meniere's disease. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Ménière’s disease (or syndrome, since its cause is unknown) was first described by French physician Prosper Ménière in 1861. ...

Vertigo-like symptoms may also appear as paraneoplastic syndrome (PNS) in the form of opsoclonus myoclonus syndrome, a multi-faceted neurological disorder associated with many forms of incipient cancer lesions or virus. If conventional therapies fail, consult with a neuro-oncologist familiar with PNS. A paraneoplastic phenomenon is a disease or symptom that is the consequence of the presence of cancer in the body, but is not due to the local presence of cancer cells. ... Opsoclonus myoclonus syndrome (OMS) is a rare neurological disorder of unknown causes which appears to be the result of an autoimmune process involving the nervous system. ...

Vertigo is typically classified into one of two categories depending on the location of the damaged vestibular pathway. These are peripheral or central vertigo. Each category has a distinct set of characteristics and associated findings.

Vertigo can also occur after long flights or boat journeys where the mind gets used to turbulence, resulting in a person feeling as if they are moving up and down. This usually subsides after a few days.

Neurochemistry of vertigo

The neurochemistry of vertigo includes 6 primary neurotransmitters that have been identified between the 3-neuron arc that drives the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR). Many others play more minor roles. Chemical structure of D-aspartic acid, a common amino acid neurotransmitter. ... Figure 3 Three-neuron arc, during a head movement to the right. ...

Three neurotransmitters that work peripherally and centrally include glutamate, acetylcholine, and GABA. Glutamate is the anion of glutamic acid. ... The chemical compound acetylcholine, often abbreviated as ACh, was the first neurotransmitter to be identified. ... Gaba may refer to: Gabâ or gabaa (Philippines), the concept of negative karma of the Cebuano people GABA, the gamma-amino-butyric acid neurotransmitter GABA receptor, in biology, receptors with GABA as their endogenous ligand Gaba 1 to 1, an English conversational school in Japan Marianne Gaba, a US model...

Glutamate maintains the resting discharge of the central vestibular neurons, and may modulate synaptic transmission in all 3 neurons of the VOR arc. Acetylcholine appears to function as an excitatory neurotransmitter in both the peripheral and central synapses. GABA is thought to be inhibitory for the commissures of the medial vestibular nucleus, the connections between the cerebellar Purkinje cells and the lateral vestibular nucleus, and the vertical VOR. Illustration of the major elements in a prototypical synapse. ... ...

Three other neurotransmitters work centrally. Dopamine may accelerate vestibular compensation. Norepinephrine modulates the intensity of central reactions to vestibular stimulation and facilitates compensation. Histamine is present only centrally, but its role is unclear. It is known that centrally acting antihistamines modulate the symptoms of motion sickness. For other uses, see Dopamine (disambiguation). ... Norepinephrine (INN)(abbr. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

The neurochemistry of emesis overlaps with the neurochemistry of motion sickness and vertigo. Acetylcholinc, histamine, and dopamine are excitatory neurotransmitters, working centrally on the control of emesis. GABA inhibits central emesis reflexes. Serotonin is involved in central and peripheral control of emesis but has little influence on vertigo and motion sickness. Vomiting (or emesis) is the forceful expulsion of the contents of ones stomach through the mouth. ... For the professional wrestling stable, see Ravens Nest#Serotonin. ...

Diagnostic testing

Tests of vestibular system (balance) function include electronystagmography (ENG), rotation tests, Caloric reflex test,^[2] and Computerized Dynamic Posturography (CDP). The vestibular system, or balance system, is the sensory system that provides the dominant input about movement and equilibrioception. ... Electronystagmography (ENG) is a diagnostic test to record involuntary movements of the eye caused by a condition known as nystagmus. ... In medicine, the caloric reflex test is a test of the vestibulo-ocular reflex. ... Computerized dynamic posturography (CDP), also called test of balance (TOB), is a non-invasive specialized clinical assessment technique used to quantify the central nervous system adaptive mechanisms (sensory, motor and central) involved in the control of posture and balance, both in normal (such as in physical education and sports training...

Tests of auditory system (hearing) function include pure-tone audiometry, speech audiometry, acoustic-reflex, electrocochleography (ECoG), otoacoustic emissions (OAE), and auditory brainstem response test (ABR; also known as BER, BSER, or BAER). The auditory system is the sensory system for the sense of hearing. ... Auditory Brainstem Response or Auditory Brainstem Response Audiometry is a screening test to monitor for hearing loss or deafness in newborn infants. ...

Other diagnostic tests include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computerized axial tomography (CAT, or CT). MRI redirects here. ... CAT apparatus in a hospital Computed axial tomography (CAT), computer-assisted tomography, computed tomography, CT, or body section roentgenography is the process of using digital processing to generate a three-dimensional image of the internals of an object from a large series of two-dimensional X-ray images taken around...

Treatment

Treatment is specific for underlying disorder of vertigo.

• Vestibular rehabilitation
• anticholinergics
• antihistamines
• benzodiazepines
• calcium channel antagonists, specifically Verapamil and Nimodipine
• GABA modulators, specifically gabapentin and baclofen
• Neurotransmitter reuptake inhibitors such as SSRI's, SNRI's and Tricyclics
• BPPV is treated with the Epley maneuver (performed by a doctor or with a bppv maneuver at home)

An anticholinergic agent is a member of a class of pharmaceutical compounds which serve to reduce the effects mediated by acetylcholine in the central nervous system and peripheral nervous system. ... An antihistamine is a drug which serves to reduce or eliminate effects mediated by histamine, an endogenous chemical mediator released during allergic reactions, through action at the histamine receptor. ... Benzodiazepine tablets The benzodiazepines are a class of drugs with hypnotic, anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, amnestic and muscle relaxant properties. ... Calcium channel blockers are a class of drugs and natural substances with effects on many excitable cells of the body, like the muscle of the heart, smooth muscles of the vessels or neuron cells. ... Verapamil (brand names: Isoptin®, Verelan®, Calan®) is a medical drug that acts as an L-type calcium channel blocker. ... Nimodipine (marketed by Bayer as Nimotop®) is a dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker originally developed for the treatment of high blood pressure. ... Gabapentin (brand name Neurontin) is a medication originally developed for the treatment of epilepsy. ... Baclofen (brand names Kemstro® and Lioresal®) is a derivative of gamma-aminobutyric acid, and is an agonist specific to mammalian but not fruit fly (Drosophila) GABAB receptors[1][2]. It is used for the treatment of spastic movement, especially in instances of spinal cord injury, spastic diplegia and multiple sclerosis. ... SSRI is an acronym that stands for several things: It is a class of antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor SSRI also is used as the stock symbol for Silver Standard Resources Inc. ... Serotonin Norepinephrine Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) are a class of antidepressant used in the treatment of clinical depression and other affective disorders. ... Chemical structure of the tricyclic antidepressant amitriptyline Tricyclic antidepressants are a class of antidepressant drugs first used in the 1950s. ...

See also

• Balance disorder
• Dizziness
• Vestibular system
• Equilibrioception

Balance is the result of a number of body systems working together. ... Many different terms are often used to describe what is collectively known as dizziness. ... The vestibular system, or balance system, is the sensory system that provides the dominant input about movement and equilibrioception. ... Equilibrioception or sense of balance is one of the physiological senses. ...

References

Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 262nd day of the year (263rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 262nd day of the year (263rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Vertigo (medical) at the Open Directory Project