Dizziness in Clinical Practice: Insights From a Multidisciplinary Patient Cohort.
- 1Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Division of Speech-Language and Hearing Therapy, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
- 2Department of Speech Pathology & Audiology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
Abstract
Background and objectives
This study aimed to characterize the clinical presentation, comorbidity profiles, and diagnostic outcomes of patients referred for dizziness assessment at a tertiary-level multidisciplinary clinic.Subjects and methods
We conducted a retrospective observational study involving 254 patients. Data were extracted from structured intake forms and included demographics, symptom type and frequency, comorbidities, Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) scores, prior healthcare utilization, and final diagnoses. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, chi-square tests, and Spearman's correlations to explore the relationships between DHI scores and clinical variables.Results
Most patients reported daily symptoms and multiple aggravating factors, including head movements and stress. Anxiety (44.5%) and memory complaints (47.2%) were common comorbidities. The mean DHI score was 34.2 (standard deviation=16.8), reflecting a mild-to-moderate perceived handicap. Peripheral vestibular disorders were the most common diagnostic category (42.9%), followed by non-peripheral causes (37.8%). Significant differences in DHI scores were observed across diagnostic categories (p<0.001), with higher scores observed in PPPD, combined vestibular disorders, and non-peripheral diagnostic groups. However, DHI scores were not significantly associated with symptom frequency, comorbidities, or healthcare utilization history.Conclusions
Dizziness presentation is heterogeneous and frequently involves prolonged diagnostic delays, overlapping symptomatology, and psychosocial comorbidities. This study's findings support the need for earlier access to vestibular assessments and integrated multidisciplinary management to reduce disability and improve outcomes for patients with chronic dizziness.
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BibTeX
@article{naude2026dizziness,
title = {{Dizziness in Clinical Practice: Insights From a Multidisciplinary Patient Cohort.}},
author = {Alida Naudé and Amisha Kanji},
journal = {Journal of audiology \& otology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.7874/jao.2025.00402},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42958770},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Dizziness in Clinical Practice: Insights From a Multidisciplinary Patient Cohort.
AU - Alida Naudé
AU - Amisha Kanji
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/20
JO - Journal of audiology & otology
DO - 10.7874/jao.2025.00402
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42958770
AB - Background and objectives This study aimed to characterize the clinical presentation, comorbidity profiles, and diagnostic outcomes of patients referred for dizziness assessment at a tertiary-level multidisciplinary clinic.Subjects and methods We conducted a retrospective observational study involving 254 patients. Data were extracted from structured intake forms and included demographics, symptom type and frequency, comorbidities, Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) scores, prior healthcare utilization, and final diagnoses. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, chi-square tests, and Spearman's correlations to explore the relationships between DHI scores and clinical variables.Results Most patients reported daily symptoms and multiple aggravating factors, including head movements and stress. Anxiety (44.5%) and memory complaints (47.2%) were common comorbidities. The mean DHI score was 34.2 (standard deviation=16.8), reflecting a mild-to-moderate perceived handicap. Peripheral vestibular disorders were the most common diagnostic category (42.9%), followed by non-peripheral causes (37.8%). Significant differences in DHI scores were observed across diagnostic categories (p<0.001), with higher scores observed in PPPD, combined vestibular disorders, and non-peripheral diagnostic groups. However, DHI scores were not significantly associated with symptom frequency, comorbidities, or healthcare utilization history.Conclusions Dizziness presentation is heterogeneous and frequently involves prolonged diagnostic delays, overlapping symptomatology, and psychosocial comorbidities. This study's findings support the need for earlier access to vestibular assessments and integrated multidisciplinary management to reduce disability and improve outcomes for patients with chronic dizziness.
SN - 2384-1621
SN - 2384-1710
ER -