Vertigo and Epilepsy (Epileptic Vertigo)

People who experience vertigo will tell you that it’s characterised by the sensation of the world spinning around you, causing you to lose balance. It’s often understated as a dizzy feeling, but vertigo can feel much more severe than a typical dizzy spell and can last anywhere from a few seconds up to a few hours, and in more extreme cases can even last days, weeks and months.  

As you can probably appreciate, or may have even experienced, vertigo can be an extremely unsettling and debilitating condition. Typical vertigo is actually caused by an issue in the inner ear whereby fluid builds up and causes inflammation. However, there’s another type of vertigo known commonly as epileptic vertigo… 

Epileptic vertigo 

Unlike the more commonly known version of vertigo, epileptic vertigo is rarely caused by an inner ear infection. Instead, it’s caused by an abnormality in the brain that causes irregular electrical impulses in parts of the cortex known as the vestibular system – namely the parietal, temporal and frontal cortex. In reality, epileptic vertigo is actually a rare form of a partial seizure.

The key symptom of epileptic vertigo is the same as the non-epilepsy related counterpart, an uncomfortable spinning sensation which can be combined with convulsions related to epilepsy. However, experiencing ‘the spins’, as it’s commonly known within the community of those who have vertigo, is not enough to diagnose epileptic vertigo as the symptom could point towards other conditions, such as Meniere’s Disease or vestibular neuralgia. 

Diagnosis of epileptic vertigo

In order to accurately diagnose epilpetic vertigo, the person will likely need to undergo a number of tests to confirm. An electroencephalograph (EEG) and a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) test are most common and should be able to help a healthcare professional to confirm or rule out epilpetic vertigo.

Treatment options  

Only once a diagnosis has taken place can an effective treatment option be considered. However, if confirmed, the treatment course is likely to be similar to that of other forms of focal epilepsy. Anticonvulsants, such as oxcarbazepine, can be used to treat epilepstic vertigo effectively. 

In addition, there may be some lifestyle modifications that can be made to help with the treatment course. Changes to the person’s diet and ensuring adequate sleep can help.
Finally, in rarer cases, epilepsy surgery may be considered in an attempt to treat the issue at the source.