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CompletedNCT00271791Updated Nov 6, 2007

Prednisone Treatment for Vestibular Neuronitis

A Phase 2 interventional study of Prednisone and Prednisone in Vestibular Diseases and Vestibular Neuronitis, sponsored by Carmel Medical Center. Completed at 4 sites in Israel. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2007-11-06.

Sponsored by Carmel Medical Center · Phase 2, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
17
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The purpose of the study is to investigate the value of steroids in the treatment of vestibular neuronitis. The potential benefits of steroid therapy would be analyzed by the clinical response, self-perceived handicap and laboratory parameters.

Read the detailed description

Vestibular neuronitis is the second most common cause of peripheral vestibulopathy (the first being benign paroxysmal positional vertigo) with incidence of about 3.5/100000. Currently vestibular neuronitis is explained by a viral pathogenesis.

Vestibular neuronitis is considered to have a benign course. The static rotatory vertigo and disequilibrium, present even when the patient is completely at rest, subside in most cases within a few days, and a gradual return to daily activities is the rule. However, it has been shown that there is generally incomplete restoration of peripheral function, and clinical recovery is achieved by proprioceptive and visual substitution for the unilateral vestibular deficit, combined with central vestibular compensation of the imbalance in vestibular tone. Although vestibular neuronitis is usually restricted to one attack, several studies have reported continuous or episodic vertigo or unsteadiness in 43% -53% of patients. The main residua include impaired vision and disequilibrium during walking and especially during head movement toward the affected ear. The rate of positive finding on vestibular evaluation may reach 60%. However, vestibular impairment as reflected by positive bedside testing and vestibular laboratory evaluation is not necessarily accompanied by subjective complaints and does not always reflect the level of incapacity.

The assumed HSV-1 etiology of vestibular neuronitis and the reported benefit of the combination of steroids and acyclovir in Bell's palsy suggest similar advantage in the treatment of vestibular neuronitis. Also, glucocorticoid receptors activation was reported to enhance vestibular compensation after acute peripheral vestibular insults in various animal models. A recent study investigated the effect of prednisolone versus valacyclovir and placebo on canal paresis in vestibular neuronitis patients. It was found that steroid treatment significantly improved peripheral vestibular function to the extent reflected by the caloric testing. However, bedside findings, patients' complaints and daily handicap were not evaluated. The relevance of the EOG caloric test results to clinical improvement could be argued in light of a previous report showing no correlation between EOG findings and residual symptoms in a long-term follow-up of vestibular neuronitis patients, and the finding that corticosteroid therapy had no effect on symptoms despite significant recovery of the caloric-test results.

The purpose of the study:

Prospective controlled longitudinal 12-month evaluation of the value of steroids in the treatment of vestibular neuronitis. The potential benefits of steroid therapy would be analyzed by the clinical response, self-perceived handicap and EOG laboratory parameters.

02

Conditions studied

  • Vestibular Diseases
  • Vestibular Neuronitis

Keywords

  • Vestibular Neuronitis
  • Vestibular Function Tests
  • Vestibular Adaptation
  • Steroids
03

In context

Vestibular Diseases

170 studies on the registry are indexed under Vestibular Diseases; 41 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 17 is below the median of 46 across 127 interventional studies indexed under Vestibular Diseases.

Browse Vestibular Diseases studies →

Lead sponsor

Carmel Medical Center is the lead sponsor of 119 studies on the registry; 7 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Clinical diagnosis of vestibular neuronitis.
  • Documentation of unilateral reduced caloric response (caloric asymmetry >25%) on the EOG caloric study.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Complaints of new hearing loss, tinnitus, or neurological deficits.
  • The presence of previously non-diagnosed sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL)
  • History of vestibular dysfunction.
  • Patient younger than 18 years of age.
  • Known to systemic : Unbalanced hypertension, un-controlled diabetes mellitus, immunodeficiency, active peptic disease, and avascular necrosis of the femoral head.
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(2)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

Contraindication

A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.

Corticosteroids (steroids)

Anti-inflammatory medicines such as prednisone, prednisolone and dexamethasone — not the anabolic steroids used for muscle.

Studies differ in what they allow: check which steroid medicines, routes (tablets, injections, creams, inhalers, eye drops) and doses this study accepts.

05

Study design

Phase
Phase 2
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Double (Participant, Investigator)
Enrollment
17 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    1

    Prednisone

    Drug: Prednisone

  • Placebo comparator
    2

    Placebo

    Drug: Prednisone

Interventions

  • PO, 1 mg/kg body weight, 5 days Short tapering regimen: daily reductions in the dose, 12 days

  • PO, Placebo, 17 days

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Clinical: The presence of static and dynamic nystagmus, positional and positioning nystagmus, and disequilibrium on bedside examination.

    Time frame: 12 months

Secondary outcomes

  1. Functional: Scores on the Dizziness Handicap Inventory questionnaires.

    Time frame: 12 months

  2. Laboratory: Caloric lateralization and directional preponderance on electro-oculography (EOG).

    Time frame: 12 months

07

Study locations

4 sites
  • Unit of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Hillel Yaffe Medical Center
    Hadera, 38100, Israel
  • Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Rambam Medical Center
    Haifa, 31096, Israel
  • Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Carmel Medical Center
    Haifa, 34362, Israel
  • Otoneurolgy Unit, Lin Medical Center, Clalit Health Services
    Haifa, 35152, Israel
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Strupp M, Zingler VC, Arbusow V, Niklas D, Maag KP, Dieterich M, Bense S, Theil D, Jahn K, Brandt T. Methylprednisolone, valacyclovir, or the combination for vestibular neuritis. N Engl J Med. 2004 Jul 22;351(4):354-61. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa033280. PubMed 15269315 ↗
  • Ohbayashi S, Oda M, Yamamoto M, Urano M, Harada K, Horikoshi H, Orihara H, Kitsuda C. Recovery of the vestibular function after vestibular neuronitis. Acta Otolaryngol Suppl. 1993;503:31-4. doi: 10.3109/00016489309128067. PubMed 8470496 ↗
  • Ariyasu L, Byl FM, Sprague MS, Adour KK. The beneficial effect of methylprednisolone in acute vestibular vertigo. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1990 Jun;116(6):700-3. doi: 10.1001/archotol.1990.01870060058010. PubMed 2187486 ↗
  • Arbusow V, Schulz P, Strupp M, Dieterich M, von Reinhardstoettner A, Rauch E, Brandt T. Distribution of herpes simplex virus type 1 in human geniculate and vestibular ganglia: implications for vestibular neuritis. Ann Neurol. 1999 Sep;46(3):416-9. doi: 10.1002/1531-8249(199909)46:33.0.co;2-w. PubMed 10482275 ↗
  • Bergenius J, Perols O. Vestibular neuritis: a follow-up study. Acta Otolaryngol. 1999;119(8):895-9. doi: 10.1080/00016489950180243. PubMed 10728930 ↗
  • Shupak A, Nachum Z, Stern Y, Tal D, Gil A, Gordon CR. Vestibular neuronitis in pilots: follow-up results and implications for flight safety. Laryngoscope. 2003 Feb;113(2):316-21. doi: 10.1097/00005537-200302000-00022. PubMed 12567089 ↗
  • Cameron SA, Dutia MB. Lesion-induced plasticity in rat vestibular nucleus neurones dependent on glucocorticoid receptor activation. J Physiol. 1999 Jul 1;518(Pt 1):151-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7793.1999.0151r.x. PubMed 10373697 ↗
  • Fife TD, Tusa RJ, Furman JM, Zee DS, Frohman E, Baloh RW, Hain T, Goebel J, Demer J, Eviatar L. Assessment: vestibular testing techniques in adults and children: report of the Therapeutics and Technology Assessment Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology. Neurology. 2000 Nov 28;55(10):1431-41. doi: 10.1212/wnl.55.10.1431. No abstract available. PubMed 11094095 ↗
09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Nov 6, 2007, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT00271791
Collaborators
Clalit Health Services, Haifa and West Galilee, Hillel Yaffe Medical Center, Rambam Health Care Campus, University Health Network, Toronto
First posted
Jan 4, 2006
Start date
Sep 2005
Completion
May 2007
Last update
Nov 6, 2007

Study contacts

Avi Shupak, MD
principal investigator · Carmel Medical Center and Clalit Health Services, Haifa and West Galilee
Itzhak Braverman, MD
principal investigator · Hillel Yaffe Medical Center
Avishai Golz, MD
principal investigator · Rambam Health Care Campus
Elhanan Greenberg, ND
principal investigator · Carmel Medical Center
Avi Shupak, MD
study chair · Carmel Medical Center and Clalit Health Services, Haifa and West Galilee

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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Studies of the drug tested here: Prednisone

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