Matutinal vertigo. Clinical characteristics and possible management
B. W. Berkowitz
Vertigo frequently begins in the morning while the patient is in bed
(matutinal vertigo). One hundred consecutive patients with vestibular
disease were studied to assess the frequency and clinical characteristics
of this temporal pattern. Forty-eight percent of the patients reported
matutinal vertigo. The pattern can occur with central as well as peripheral
disorders and is therefore not a localizing marker. It is most frequent
with disorders in which positional features (vertigo and nystagmus) are
prominent, and sleeping position appears to play a role in its production.
It may be possible to prevent recurrent attacks by altering the patient's
sleeping position.