PHOBIC POSTURAL VERTIGO A cognitive-behavior approach

Dizziness is one of the most common symptoms in primary care and can be associated with otologic, neurologic, and psychiatric conditions(1,2). Phobic postural vertigo (PPV) is a specific anxiety-related, chronic and incapacitating condition with subjective imbalance and short attacks of dizziness, and has been described as a prevalent cause of chronic subjective dizziness that cannot be sufficiently explained by patient's vestibular condition(3). Behavioral therapy, vestibular rehabilitation and serotonin selective re-uptake inhibitor antidepressants (SSRIs) have been pointed as useful treatments(4). Few cognitive-behavior (CBT) studies for chronic dizziness have been described. We report a patient with chronic dizziness that only achieved complete symptom relieve after adding CBT to the conventional medication treatment.