Work

Greater postural sway during mastoid and neck vibration in vestibular migraine

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Vestibular migraine is a leading cause of episodic vertigo but objective physiological markers and mechanistic understanding remain limited. Postural instability is a recognised feature, possibly linked to abnormal central integration of vestibular, visual, and proprioceptive inputs. This study examined whether targeted vibrational stimulation alters postural control and visuospatial orientation in patients with vestibular migraine. An exploratory cross-sectional study was conducted involving 15 patients with vestibular migraine in the interictal phase, diagnosed according to Bárány Society criteria, and 15 age-matched healthy controls. Participants received vibrational stimulation at the mastoid, upper cervical region, and a deltoid control site. Postural sway was quantified using stabilometric force-platform measures under eyes-open and eyes-closed conditions. Visuospatial orientation was assessed with a rod-tilt paradigm. Baseline postural sway and rod-tilt performance were similar between groups. VM patients exhibited significantly greater displacements of the body’s centre of pressure (CoP) in response to both upper neck and mastoid vibration, compared with healthy subjects (all p < 0.05) and with their own negative-control stimulus (deltoid, all p < 0.001). Deltoid vibration produced no group differences. Rod-tilt performance remained comparable across groups. In this exploratory cross-sectional study, patients with vestibular migraine exhibited increased postural sway during vestibular and cervical proprioceptive perturbations, despite comparable baseline balance and visuospatial orientation. These findings identify differences in postural responses to sensory perturbations in vestibular migraine and warrant further investigation in larger cohort studies.

Source: Scientific Reports

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-76650-2