Vestibular Outcomes in Vestibular Schwannoma

Vertigo Symptoms, Balance and Vestibular Function in Patients With Vestibular Schwannoma

Previous studies have shown that vertigo is the symptoms that mostly affect quality of life in patients with vestibular schwannoma. There is still limited knowledge as to why some patients with this disorder develop vertigo, while others with the same diagnosis do not. The purpose of this study is to measure symptom-related quality of life and to relate this to objective disease characteristics at baseline.

This is a longitudinal observational study with data collected at baseline and after treatment.

Variables collected at baseline include age, sex, tumor size, location, type (cystic/solid), tumor side, symptom variables including Dizziness Handicap Inventory, Vertigo Symptom Scale Short Form, Haukeland Dizziness Questionnaire, Visual analog scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, RAND-12, dynamic posturography, video-based head impulse test, bithermal caloric tests, ocular and cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials.

Follow-up data after 1 year are the same patient-reported outcomes as at baseline.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients living i Norway referred to Haukeland University Hospital due to newly diagnosed, untreated vestibular schwannoma

Exclusion Criteria:

• Inability to undergo test protocol due to physical or language barriers