The effects of the modified epley and semont maneuvers on residual dizziness in patients with posterior canal BPPV

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the effects of the Modified Epley Maneuver and the Semont Maneuver on residual dizziness in patients diagnosed with posterior canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 42 patients were included in the study, with 21 patients in the Epley Group and 21 patients in the Semont Group. The patients were evaluated at the time of diagnosis, and at the first week and first month after repositioning treatment using the Dizziness Handicap Inventory, Vertigo Symptom Scale, Static Subjective Visual Vertical, and Dynamic Subjective Visual Vertical tests. RESULTS: In both treatment groups, statistically significant reductions were observed in the within-group scores of the Dizziness Handicap Inventory and Vertigo Symptom Scale from baseline to the first-month follow-up (p<0.001). No significant differences were found between the groups at follow-up points regarding residual dizziness (p>0.05). However, in the Epley Group, a statistically significant normalization was detected in the proportion of pathological head tilts on Static Subjective Visual Vertical measurements at the first-month assessment (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that while both the Modified Epley and Semont Maneuvers exhibit comparable efficacy in the treatment of posterior canal BPPV. However, the Epley maneuver may provide a superior clinical benefit by potentially reducing the residual dizziness. These findings could guide the the selection of maneuvers in daily clinical practice and will contribute to the literature on the management of residual dizziness. Keywords: Epley, Semont, residual dizziness, Subjective Visual Vertical, Dizziness Handicap Inventory