Reference
Glossary
The working vocabulary of vertigo at both ends of life. Inline dotted terms throughout the chapter link here.
- Benign paroxysmal vertigo of childhood (BPVC) · BPVC
- Brief, sudden spells of vertigo in children aged 2–7, with normal examination and full recovery between episodes. A migraine precursor that often evolves into vestibular migraine in adolescence — not to be confused with adult BPPV.
- Bilateral vestibulopathy (paediatric)
- Reduced function of both labyrinths, in children most often from congenital SNHL, inner-ear malformation or aminoglycoside ototoxicity. Causes delayed motor milestones, poor balance and oscillopsia.
- Falls
- A leading cause of injury and loss of independence in older adults. Vestibular hypofunction is a modifiable contributor; multifactorial assessment and exercise-based prevention reduce fall risk.
- Multifactorial dizziness
- Dizziness in older adults arising from the additive failure of several systems — vestibular, visual, proprioceptive, cardiovascular, medication-related and central — rather than a single diagnosis; a geriatric syndrome.
- Orthostatic hypotension
- A sustained fall in blood pressure on standing, causing presyncopal light-headedness often mislabelled 'vertigo' in older adults; a common, treatable contributor and falls risk.
- Oscillopsia
- The illusion that the visual world bounces or moves during head movement, from an inadequate vestibulo-ocular reflex. In children it can impair reading and copying from the board.
- Otitis media with effusion (OME) · glue ear
- Middle-ear fluid that, beyond hearing loss, can transiently impair balance and motor development in young children; ventilation tubes may improve both.
- Polypharmacy
- Concurrent use of multiple medications. Sedatives, antihypertensives, anticholinergics and prolonged vestibular suppressants are a frequent, reversible cause of dizziness and falls in older adults.
- Presbyvestibulopathy
- Age-related mild bilateral vestibular hypofunction (Bárány Society 2019 criteria): a chronic vestibular syndrome in someone ≥60 with objectively reduced function (e.g. vHIT gain 0.6–0.8) not better explained otherwise.
- Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) · SNHL
- Hearing loss of cochlear/neural origin. Up to ~70% of children with congenital SNHL have coexisting vestibular hypofunction — a key reason to screen balance in these children.
- Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMP) · cVEMP · oVEMP
- Reflex tests of otolith (saccular/utricular) function, valuable in children with SNHL or suspected vestibular hypofunction and in characterising age-related decline.
- Vestibular migraine
- The commonest cause of episodic vertigo in older children and adolescents. Attacks last minutes to hours; headache may be absent in children, so a migraine family history and motion sensitivity are useful clues.
- Vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT) · VRT
- Exercise-based therapy (gaze stabilisation, habituation, balance training) driving central compensation. In children it must be play-based and caregiver-supported; in older adults it reduces falls.
- Vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) · VOR
- The reflex that stabilises gaze during head movement. Gaze-stabilisation exercises that retrain the VOR are a core part of vestibular rehabilitation at every age.
- Video head impulse test (vHIT)
- A brief, well-tolerated canal-specific test of VOR gain — useful in older children and central to grading the mild bilateral hypofunction that defines presbyvestibulopathy.