The Dizziness Handicap Index increased by 2.6 points for every additional point in severity of anxiety<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter<\/b>
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TUESDAY, Oct. 7, 2025 (HealthDay News) — For patients with vestibular schwannoma (VS), those with anxiety have more severe dizziness, according to a study published online Oct. 2 in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery<\/em>.<\/p>\n Tyler Wilson, from Washington University in St. Louis, and colleagues examined the baseline features of adults diagnosed with VS associated with subjective dizziness in a retrospective cohort study involving 109 patients who completed vestibular testing between June 2004 and January 2025. The Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) was used to measure baseline dizziness.<\/p>\n The mean DHI score was 27 points in the cohort. The researchers found that the DHI score was 13.7 points higher for participants with a history of anxiety compared with those with no such history. The DHI score increased 2.6 points for every additional point in severity of anxiety measured using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) scale. After controlling for covariates, the DHI score increased by a mean of 1.9 points for every one-point increase in the GAD-7. Patients with versus without a history of anxiety had a DHI score 10.6 points higher on average.<\/p>\n “This cohort study found that dizziness is a significant clinical factor associated with quality of life in patients with VS,” the authors write. “Dizziness is often unreported by referring physicians and should be assessed when suspecting a diagnosis of VS.”<\/p>\n Several authors disclosed ties to industry.<\/p>\n Abstract\/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)<\/a><\/p>\n