The Enduring Controversy of Cervicogenic Vertigo, and Its Place among Positional Vertigo Syndromes

Abstract

The idea of cervicogenic vertigo (CV) was proposed nearly a century ago, yet despite considerable scrutiny and research, little progress has been made in clarifying the underlying mechanism of the disease, developing a confirmatory diagnostic test, or devising an appropriately targeted treatment. Given the history of this idea, we offer a review geared towards understanding why so many attempts at clarifying it have failed, with specific comments regarding how CV fits into the broader landscape of positional vertigo syndromes, what a successful diagnostic test might require, and some practical advice on how to approach this in the absence of a diagnostic test.

Keywords: cervicalgia; migraine; multisensory integration; oculomotor testing; physical therapy; proprioception; vascular imaging; vertigo; vestibular testing.