{ "abstract": "Introduction A growing body of evidence from epidemiological, clinical and experimental studies suggests a bidirectional interaction between the vestibular and neuroendocrine systems. However, the relationship between circulating hormone profiles and different types and stages of vestibular disorders remains poorly characterised in humans. This study aims to investigate blood hormone profiles in patients with acute unilateral peripheral vestibulopathy (UVP), episodic vestibular disorders (including Menière’s disease, vestibular migraine and benign paroxysmal positional vertigo) and bilateral vestibulopathy (BVP) and to explore the potential diagnostic and prognostic relevance of these hormonal profiles.Methods and analysis This is a prospective, single-centre observational cohort study conducted at Ludwig Maximilians University Hospital, Munich, Germany. The study will include 40 patients with UVP, 40 patients with episodic vestibular disorders, 40 patients with BVP and 40 age-matched and sex-matched healthy controls. Patients with UVP and episodic vestibular disorders will undergo longitudinal blood sampling during the acute symptomatic phase, within 48 hours of symptom onset and during a stable or compensated phase 2 months later. Patients with BVP and healthy controls will undergo a single blood sampling session. Fourteen circulating biomarkers will be analysed, including hormones from the hypothalamic–pituitary–thyroid, hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal and gonadal axes as well as serotonin, vasopressin and homocysteine. Vestibular function will be assessed using routine quantitative tests, including caloric testing, video head impulse testing and posturography. Hormonal profiles will be compared between patients with vestibular disorders and healthy controls. Additionally, in patients with UVP and episodic vestibular disorders, hormonal profiles will be compared between the acute and stable disease phases. Associations between hormone levels, vestibular deficit severity and clinical recovery will also be explored using multivariable and longitudinal statistical models.Ethics and dissemination The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Ludwig Maximilians University Munich (ID: 21–1214) and will be conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. Written informed consent will be obtained from all participants. Study findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed scientific publications, presentations at national and international scientific conferences and communication to relevant clinical, scientific and patient communities.Registration details The study will be registered on ClinicalTrials.gov.", "abstract_shown": true, "affiliations": [ "Research Centre in Psychology and Neuroscience UMR7077, CNRS-Aix Marseille University, Marseille, France", "Department of ENT and Head and Neck Surgery, Lariboisière Hospital, AP-HP, Paris, France", "Centre de Référence Des Maladies Vestibulaires Et Cochléo-Vestibulaires Rares (VERTICO), Fondation Pour L’Audition, IHU reConnect, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France", "Université Paris Cité, Faculté de Médecine, Paris, France", "Department of Neurology, LMU University Hospital, German Center for Vertigo and Balance Disorders, LMU University Hospital, LMU Medizin, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany", "German Center for Vertigo and Balance Disorders, LMU University Hospital, LMU Medizin, LMU Munich, Munich, Bavaria, Germany", "Institute for Medical Information Processing, Biometrics and Epidemiology, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany", "Centre de Référence Des Maladies Vestibulaires Et Cochléo-Vestibulaires Rares (VERTICO), Fondation Pour L’Audition, IHU reConnect, Institut Pasteur, Paris, Île-de-France, France" ], "article_type": "research article", "arxiv": null, "author_total": 10, "authors": [ { "affs": [ 0 ], "name": "Rhizlaine ELKhiati" }, { "affs": [ 0 ], "name": "Azzaddin Elasry", "orcid": "0009-0000-3678-4204" }, { "affs": [ 0 ], "name": "Abdessadek El Ahmadi" }, { "affs": [ 1, 2, 3 ], "name": "Cassandre Djian" }, { "affs": [ 4 ], "name": "Marius Naher" }, { "affs": [ 4 ], "name": "Filipp Filippopulos" }, { "affs": [ 5, 6 ], "name": "Eva Grill" }, { "affs": [ 1, 7 ], "name": "Charlotte Hautefort" }, { "affs": [ 0 ], "name": "Christian Chabbert" }, { "affs": [ 4 ], "name": "Andreas Zwergal" } ], "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/53tv0fby62z3j.bib", "cited_by": 0, "doi": "10.1136/bmjopen-2026-124215", "fulltext_url": "https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/16/10/e124215.full", "id": "53tv0fby62z3j", "issns": [ "2044-6055", "2044-6055" ], "landing_url": "https://bmjopen.bmj.com/lookup/doi/10.1136/bmjopen-2026-124215", "language": "en", "licence": "CC-BY-NC-4.0", "licence_label": "CC BY-NC 4.0", "licence_source": "article", "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/", "metadata_licence": null, "native_subjects": [ [ "heading", "1506" ], [ "heading", "1713" ], [ "heading", "Neurology" ], [ "heading", "Protocol" ], [ "lcc", "R" ], [ "openalex", "2808|Vestibular and auditory disorders" ] ], "openalex": "W7223343066", "pdf_url": null, "pmcid": "PMC13711523", "pmid": "42919589", "published": "2026-10-23", "publisher": "BMJ", "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/53tv0fby62z3j.ris", "sources": [ { "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:19:44Z", "native_id": "10.1136/bmjopen-2026-124215", "source": "crossref", "url": "https://bmjopen.bmj.com/lookup/doi/10.1136/bmjopen-2026-124215" }, { "first_seen": "2026-10-30T13:44:30Z", "native_id": "4bee51fd9d9a4770b9fd41e9fe5cb7e1", "source": "doaj", "url": "https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2026-124215" }, { "first_seen": "2026-10-31T12:22:17Z", "native_id": "PMC13711523", "source": "pmc", "url": "https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2026-124215" } ], "subjects": [ { "field": "medicine", "origin": "heading:Neurology", "subfield": "neurology" } ], "title": "Diagnostic and prognostic blood hormone biomarkers in vestibular disorders: protocol for a prospective observational cohort study at a tertiary referral centre in Germany", "title_text": "Diagnostic and prognostic blood hormone biomarkers in vestibular disorders: protocol for a prospective observational cohort study at a tertiary referral centre in Germany", "type": "peer-reviewed", "updated_at": "2026-10-31T12:22:17Z", "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/53tv0fby62z3j", "venue": "BMJ Open", "versions": [] }