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Review Article
- Understanding body composition in vestibular disorders: where do we stand? A narrative review
- Seong-Hae Jeong, Eunjin Kwon
- Res Vestib Sci. 2025;24(2):89-97. Published online June 15, 2025
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.21790/rvs.2025.009
- 3,337 View
- 64 Download
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Abstract
PDF - Vestibular disorders significantly affect balance and spatial orientation, yet symptom severity varies greatly among patients with similar levels of vestibular impairment. Emerging evidence suggests that differences in body composition, specifically muscle mass, fat distribution, and bone density, may play crucial roles in modulating vestibular symptoms and overall functional outcomes. Sarcopenia, characterized by reduced muscle mass and strength, and conditions like osteopenia and osteoporosis have been independently linked to increased dizziness and imbalance, particularly in older adults. Experimental studies in animal models indicate vestibular system involvement in regulating muscle and bone metabolism via gravity-induced mechanisms, emphasizing vestibular-dependent molecular pathways. However, current clinical evidence remains preliminary, and further well-designed prospective studies are needed to clarify these relationships. This review synthesizes available insights into the interplay between vestibular function and body composition, highlights its clinical implications, and advocates for integrated management strategies, while emphasizing the importance of ongoing rigorous research.
Original Article
- Serum otolin-1 level is specific to benign paroxysmal positional vertigo
- Hoon Kim, Eun Ji Kim, Eunjin Kwon, Seong-Hae Jeong
- Res Vestib Sci. 2024;23(2):46-52. Published online June 14, 2024
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.21790/rvs.2024.008
- 4,622 View
- 72 Download
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Abstract
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- Objectives
When we see patients with a history of positional vertigo (PV), many patients are diagnosed with benign paroxysmal PV (BPPV) by performing a typical history and nystagmus during a positioning maneuver. Recent studies reported that Otolin-1 can be detected in serum and that its levels significantly increase with age and BPPV. Herein, we tried to study the relationship between serum otolin-1 level and the other clinical aspects in patients with PV.
Methods
We measured the serum levels of otolin-1 in 117 BPPV patients (82 females; age range, 43–92 years; mean age±standard deviation [SD], 68.5±10.5 years), referred to as the BPPV group; and nine patients (seven females; age range, 61–79 years; mean age±SD, 66.9±5.9 years) with PV not compatible with BPPV, referred to as another PV group. All the BPPV patients were treated with an appropriate canal repositioning maneuver followed by blood sampling within 1 week.
Results
The serum levels of otolin-1 were higher in the BPPV group than in another PV group (mean±SD, 350.1±319.1 pg/mL vs. 183.6±134.1 pg/mL, respectively; p=0.037). However, there were no differences in both laboratory findings (serum vitamin D, C-telopeptide of type collagen, and bone mineral density) and clinical findings (age, sex, vertigo duration, ear disease, ear symptom, migraine, motion sickness, trauma, and previous BPPV) between these two groups.
Conclusions
Serum otolin-1 level could help predict the current existence of BPPV in patients with PV. However, further validation studies are needed.
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