Consultation liaison psychiatry in otoneurology

Background and aims: Balance disorder is oneof the most common health problems (Perez etal., 2003). A huge amount of scientific literaturedescribes the coexistence of a significant linkbetween vestibular and psychiatric disorders(Monzani et al, 2006) and its neurobiologicbackground (Balanban et al., 2001). We aim todescribe the relationship between otoneurologyand psychiatry.Methods: We considered two conditions: 1-where anxiety has a predominant role inoriginating vestibular symptoms such as phobicpostural vertigo (Brandt, 1996), space andmotion discomfort, dizziness andlightheadedness in panic attacks (Furman andJacob, 2001); 2-when pre-existing vestibulardysfunction is worsened by anxiety symptoms,increasing vestibulo-oculo-motor reflex gain(Yardley et al, 1995) and reducing adaptationmechanisms in visuo-vestibular conflicts(Viaud-Delmon et al., 2000).Results: A critical review of scientific dataexploring how vestibular and psychiatricdisorders clinically interact will be presented,together with preliminary results concerning ourstudies on: psychopathological profile andalexithimia in patients suffering from positionalparossistic vertigo, anger in hearing impairedpatients, posturography and eating disorder,coping strategies in hyperacusic patients , bodyimage perception in patients using acousticprothesis.Conclusions: Scientific literature was examinedand potential applications explored concerningthe connection between otoneurology andpsychiatry.