Mal de Debarquement Syndrome

Saha, Kamala; Cha, Yoon‐Hee

doi:10.1055/s-0039-3402740

Cited by 8 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…Another challenge in the treatment of MdDS patients remains the possible relapse or aggravation of symptoms after additional travel. While one study suggests that continued travel by boat or plane does not extend the duration of MdDS episodes ( 30 ), it emphasizes the importance of patients avoiding passive transportation within the initial 2 weeks after the treatment to maintain the treatment’s improvement ( 23 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Guideline for standardized approach in the treatment of the Mal de Debarquement syndrome

Schoenmaekers,

Jillings,

De Laet

et al. 2024

Front. Neurol.

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IntroductionMal de Debarquement Syndrome (MdDS) is a debilitating neuro-otological disorder. Patients experience almost continuously a perception of self-motion. This syndrome can be motion-triggered (MT-MdDS), such as on a boat, or occur spontaneously or have other triggers (SO-MdDS) in the absence of such motion. Because the pathophysiological mechanism is unknown, treatment options and symptom management strategies are limited. One available treatment protocol involves a readaptation of the vestibular ocular reflex (VOR). This study assesses the effectiveness of vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) readaptation in 131 consecutive patients with a fixed protocol.MethodsWe administered 131 treatments involving optokinetic stimulation (OKS) paired with a fixed head roll at 0.167 Hz over two to five consecutive days. Each day, four-minute treatment blocks were scheduled twice in the morning and afternoon. Treatment effectiveness was evaluated through questionnaires and posturography.ResultsWe observed significant improvements in the visual analog scale (VAS), MdDS symptom questionnaire, and posturography measures from pre- to post-treatment. No significant differences were found in outcome variables between MT- and SO-MdDS onsets.ConclusionSymptoms improved subjectively and objectively in patients’ post-treatment. The overall success rate was 64.1%, with no significant difference between MT (64.2%) and SO (63.3%). This study supports the conclusion that VOR readaptation treatment provides relief for two-thirds of MdDS patients, irrespective of the onset type. Based on consistency in the findings, we propose a standardized method for treatment of MdDS based on the OKS with head roll paradigm.

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