Audiometric assessments can provide predictive insights into vestibular dysfunction which can assist diagnosis and management of balance disorders, according to a new study from French researchers.
They said their findings “unequivocally demonstrate a clear correlation between audiometric phenotypes and vestibular deficits”.
The results also underscored the importance of integrating hearing assessment into the diagnostic evaluation of people with balance disorders, they added.
Writing in Nature’s Scientific Reports on 21 April 2025, the researchers said dizziness and vertigo were often linked to inner ear or neurological issues. Although the inner ear housed the cochlea and vestibule, they said the relationship between hearing loss and vertigo or vestibular deficits had been extensively debated in the scientific community.
The main challenge in addressing this question lay in variability in inter- and intra-individual responses to standard vestibular examinations.
Their retrospective study probed systematic audiometry and vestibular function in 1,115 patients attending consultations for tinnitus and vertigo at a specialised private clinic over six years. The patients sought consultation specifically for symptoms of dizziness and vertigo.
Peripheral vestibular pathologies accounted for 49.3% of the diagnoses, while 41.1% were attributed to central pathologies.
Analysis identified six distinct audiometric phenotypes, which were then correlated with vestibular test outcomes.
Vestibular migraine accounted for 15.5% of the cohort and primarily affected younger women with normal hearing.
Bilateral vestibulopathy (16.7% of the cohort), benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (9.7%), and dementia (2.2%) were more frequently observed in older patients and those with hearing loss.
Ménière’s disease (4%) and vestibular neuritis/labyrinthitis (3.9%) were associated with younger patients and unilateral or asymmetrical hearing loss.
“Our data-driven analysis unveils a strong interplay between hearing loss and dizziness/vertigo,” the researchers wrote.
“While age-related hearing decline and unilateral deafness were associated with vertigo of peripheric origin, a large portion of patients presenting dizziness exhibited normal auditory function.
“Our findings suggest that audiometric assessments can provide predictive insights into vestibular dysfunction.
“These audiometric phenotypes represent valuable tools for refining diagnoses and facilitating personalised management of patients with balance disorders.”
They said integrating hearing assessment into the diagnostic evaluation of people with balance disorders would help clinicians refine their diagnostic approach and provide more tailored management strategies.
The study also opened the door for further research into underlying mechanisms connecting the auditory and vestibular systems.
