Glossary

A common cause of vertigo with brief episodes of spinning triggered by head-position change, from dislodged otoconia in the semicircular canals.

Therapeutic head-movement sequences (e.g. the Epley manoeuvre) that relocate displaced otoconia from a semicircular canal back to the utricle in BPPV.

Vertigo from pathology in the brainstem, cerebellum, or cerebral cortex, often with neurological signs such as diplopia, dysarthria, and ataxia.

Dizziness or imbalance from abnormal proprioceptive input from the cervical spine, often after whiplash or with cervical spondylosis.

A psychological treatment effective for functional dizziness, anxiety, and PPPD; it targets maladaptive thoughts and behaviours.

A sensation of imbalance or unsteadiness while walking or standing, without any perception of movement — often in the elderly or with proprioceptive/cerebellar dysfunction.

A diagnostic positional test for posterior-canal BPPV that provokes vertigo and nystagmus through head positioning.

A bedside test of the vestibulo-ocular reflex used to detect peripheral vestibular hypofunction.

Excessive sensory self-monitoring, common in anxiety-related conditions and PPPD, that helps perpetuate symptoms.

A disorder of motion perception in which a persistent rocking or swaying follows disembarking from a cruise, flight, or long journey.

A peripheral vestibular disorder from endolymphatic hydrops, with episodic vertigo, fluctuating hearing loss, tinnitus, and aural fullness.

The brain's combining of visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive inputs to maintain balance and orientation.

Vague, ill-defined sensations — light-headedness, wooziness, disconnection — often from psychiatric or metabolic causes.

Visual rehabilitation using moving visual patterns to reduce visual vertigo by retraining the visual–vestibular system.

Vertigo from dysfunction of the inner-ear structures (labyrinth or vestibular nerve), typically with intense spinning and sometimes hearing symptoms.

A chronic functional vestibular disorder with non-vertiginous dizziness and unsteadiness ≥3 months, worse with upright posture and visual motion, often following an initial vestibular or psychological event.

A sustained fall in blood pressure on standing (≥20 mmHg systolic or ≥10 mmHg diastolic), leading to presyncope; common in the elderly or on antihypertensives.

A sensation of light-headedness and impending faint, usually from transient cerebral hypoperfusion.

Sensory information from muscles and joints contributing to the body's sense of position and movement.

A clinical test for postural instability used to detect sensory ataxia; a positive result suggests proprioceptive or vestibular impairment.

A class of antidepressants effective in managing PPPD, MdDS, and psychogenic dizziness.

The adaptive process by which the brain shifts reliance among visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive inputs to maintain balance.

Use of controlled virtual environments (including VR) to simulate motion and treat visual vertigo or balance disorders.

A diagnostic tool for presyncope and autonomic dysfunction, monitoring cardiovascular responses to changes in posture.

A rehabilitation strategy that retrains the brain to compensate for vestibular deficits through repeated, graded motion exposure.

Acute inflammation of the vestibular nerve causing sudden, prolonged vertigo without hearing loss.

A customised physical-therapy programme to improve balance and reduce dizziness in vestibular dysfunction.

A reflex that stabilises vision during head movement by coordinating eye movement with head position.

Over-reliance on visual input for balance, often from vestibular deficits, making patients prone to visual vertigo.

A condition in which complex visual stimuli — patterned floors, crowded or moving scenes — provoke dizziness, usually from visual dependency.

A rapid back-and-forth movement of the neck, often from a rear-end collision, that can result in cervicogenic dizziness.