Background: Vestibular migraine (VM) is a common migraine subtype characterized by recurrent vestibular symptoms. Despite its prevalence, evidence-based treatment guidelines are lacking. Vestibular rehabilitation (VR) has been proven effective in many vestibular disorders, but its role in managing VM has not been well established. This systematic review aimed to summarize and pool the evidence on the effectiveness of VR for VM using standardized outcome measures, primarily focusing on patient-reported dizziness-related quality-of-life assessments.
Methods: We systematically searched MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Scopus from inception to March 2025 for studies evaluating self-reported and physical outcome measures of VR in patients with VM. Meta-analysis of mean change in Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) scores was performed. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane RoB 2 tool for the randomized controlled trials and the ROBINS-I tool for observational studies.
Results: Seven studies comprising 413 patients (mean age, 45.4; 76% female) with VM treated with VR were included. The effect of vestibular rehabilitation on DHI scores showed a pooled mean difference of -29.3 (95% confidence interval [CI], -40.2 to -18.3), more than the clinically important difference of 18 points. Although, our meta-analysis had high heterogeneity (Cochran's Q p value <0.001, I2 = 94.7%).
Conclusion: VR demonstrated a reduction in DHI scores, meeting the clinically significant difference of 18 indicating clinical improvement. However, the considerable heterogeneity limits the generalizability of these results and highlights the need for further standardized randomized controlled trials with subgroup analyses to better determine the specific benefits and optimal protocols of VR in managing VM.
Objective: The aim of this study was to synthesize a unifying disease model for idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) based on the current literature.
Background: IIH is a complex neurological condition defined by abnormally elevated intracranial pressure in the absence of an identifiable etiology. Although various causal mechanisms are thought to contribute to the development of IIH pathophysiology, how they interrelate remains poorly understood.
Methods: Here, we synthesize emerging evidence indicating that cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and interstitial fluid (ISF) dyshomeostasis drive IIH pathology and how alterations in neurofluid regulation are associated with transverse sinus stenosis, brain volume, and the cerebral glymphatic system.
Results: We propose a unified disease model where obesity-mediated metabolic dysfunction results in impaired glymphatic clearance with consequential accumulation of brain ISF with resultant increased brain volume. This subsequently results in extramural compression of the dural venous sinuses. Dural venous stenosis causes venous hypertension with further veno-glymphatic congestion and a positive feedback loop on impaired glymphatic drainage, which further perpetuates interstitial fluid stasis and increased brain volume with increased intracranial pressure.
Conclusions: The presented unifying disease model integrates various observations and suspected drivers of the condition into a cohesive framework of IIH pathogenesis that may be used for future investigations and clinical conceptualization.
Objective: We analyzed data from both a national survey and a single hospital system to determine the prevalence of migraine in individuals with autism as well as identify sociodemographic and clinical characteristics associated with migraine in individuals with autism.
Background: Few studies have examined the prevalence of migraine in autism and there are no studies examining the migraine phenotype and clinical features associated with migraine in autism.
Methods: This retrospective cohort study used two databases-the National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH) and the University of California Los Angeles hospital system electronic health record (UCLA EHR). NSCH survey data from 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021 (data collection period for each year is June to January; e.g., NSCH 2021 period is June 2021 to January 2022; N = 50,892) were queried to identify cohorts based on responses to two survey questions identifying the presence of frequent/severe headache and autism. For UCLA cohorts, patients (12/01/1979-4/16/2023, N = 4,334,162) were queried for migraine and autism based on the International Classification of Diseases diagnosis codes. We tested the hypothesis: Headache/migraine occurs more frequently in individuals with autism versus without autism. Variables including social determinants of health (SDoH) and co-occurring illnesses were compared between autism with versus without headache/migraine.
Results: Headache and migraine prevalence was higher in individuals with autism versus those without (2021 NSCH-headache % [95% confidence interval {CI}], 7.1% [4.62-9.56] vs. 3.0% [2.62-3.19], p < 0.001 and UCLA-migraine: 3.1% [2.86-3.43] vs. 2.0% [1.97-1.99], p < 0.001). Among those with autism, the presence of headache/migraine was associated with increased odds of adverse childhood experiences such as bullying (NSCH-'Weekly/Almost daily' bullying aOR = 5.93 [2.01-17.50], p = 0.001, 'Never' reference) and being a victim of violence (NSCH-'Yes' aOR = 2.82, [1.19-6.66], p = 0.018), poor general health (NSCH-'Fair/Poor' health aOR = 9.68, [3.01-31.19], p < 0.001, 'Excellent' reference), mood disturbances, including anxiety (NSCH-'Yes' aOR = 4.50, [1.63-12.41], p = 0.004; UCLA aOR = 3.40, [2.78-4.17], p < 0.001), and depression (NSCH-'Yes' aOR = 5.70, [2.50-12.97], p < 0.001; UCLA aOR = 3.76, [3.08-4.60], p < 0.001), as well as increased rates of concussion (NSCH-'Yes' aOR = 9.05, [3.19-25.66], p < 0.001; UCLA aOR = 10.28, [6.91-15.30], p < 0.001).
Conclusions: Headache/migraine occurs at higher rates in individuals with autism and is associated with increased odds of negative SDoH and clinically relevant co-occurring illnesses. This study highlights the importance of migraine screening in individuals with autism. Future work is needed to understand the burden and impact of migraine in autism.

