Differences Between Vestibular Migraine and Meniere's Disease Based on Cochlear-Vestibular Function Assessment: A 6-Year Retrospective Clinical Study

Audiological and vestibular function tests are the most commonly used noninvasive evaluation methods for vertigo diseases. Preliminary studies have shown that detailed medical history, audiological, and vestibular function evaluation are effective methods to distinguish Meniere's disease and vestibular migraine diseases. This study retrospectively included 503 patients with vestibular migraine and 1,125 patients with Meniere's disease. Patients underwent pure tone audiometry and videonystagmography (VNG), including spontaneous nystagmus testing and the caloric test. In our study, we found that patients with Meniere's disease often exhibit abnormal unilateral weakness, while those with vestibular migraine show changes in vestibular function characterized by labyrinthine hyperactivity. Compared to vestibular migraine patients, Ménière's disease patients are more likely to experience unilateral full-frequency hearing loss. This study systematically compared the vestibular function and audiological characteristics of vestibular migraine and Ménière's disease, providing an evidence-based foundation for clinical differential diagnosis.