Pilot Study On Patients With Mal De Debarquement Syndrome During Pregnancy

Abstract

Aim: To evaluate if patients with Mal de Debarquement syndrome (MdDS) demonstrate different symptom levels or symptom type during pregnancy. Materials & methods: 18 MdDS patients that were or had been pregnant during their condition were recruited to complete a retrospective online questionnaire. Respondents answered questions regarding their basic clinical data, diagnosis, triggers and differences in symptom level and symptom type during pregnancy and before pregnancy. Results: A total of 81.3% reported that their symptoms were reduced during pregnancy compared with before pregnancy. Respondents also reported a different perception of motion and experienced less dizziness while being pregnant. Conclusion: The physiological changes that occur during pregnancy improve the symptoms of patients with MdDS, and this is potentially attributable to the rise in estrogen and progesterone.

Lay abstract

Mal de Debarquement syndrome (MdDS) is a rare neurological disorder characterized by a constant sensation of self-motion. More women are affected than men, and subsequently a hormonal implication has been theorized. This study aimed to evaluate if symptoms change in patients with MdDS during their pregnancy. A total of 18 MdDS patients were recruited to complete a retrospective online questionnaire. Among these, 81.3% of respondents reported that their symptoms were lower during pregnancy compared with before pregnancy. Respondents also reported a different perception of motion and experienced less dizziness while being pregnant. Our results support the hypothesis that pregnancy positively influences MdDS symptoms.

Keywords::

• estrogen
• Mal de Debarquement syndrome (MdDS)
• MdDS symptoms
• pregnancy

Supplementary data

To view the supplementary data that accompany this paper please visit the journal website at: www.tandfonline.com/doi/suppl/10.4155/fsoa-2018-0109

Author contributions

V Mucci is the primary author, and was involved in designing the entire study, patient recruitment, data analysis, and the writing of the manuscript. J Canceri was partially involved in the writing of the manuscript. Y Jacquemyn contributed to the study design as well as writing the manuscript. A Van Ombergen contributed to the reviewing of the manuscript. LK Maes contributed to the review of the manuscript. PH Van de Heyning contributed to the reviewing of the manuscript. CJ Browne is the senior author, and was involved in designing the study, recruiting participants, data analysis and the writing of the manuscript.

Ethics approval & consent to participate

Ethical approval was provided by the Ethics Committee of the University Hospital Antwerp Belgium (IRB number 15/44/454) and by the Western Sydney University Human Ethics Committee (H11962). Each respondent gave informed consent. All investigations were conducted according to the principles expressed in the Declaration of Helsinki.

Availability of data & material

The datasets generated and analyzed during the current study are not publicly available due to the confidential nature of the data.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This publication was supported by the Future Science Early Research Career Award awarded to V Mucci. This work was supported by a Western Sydney University Research Initiatives Early Career Researchers Grant awarded to CJ Browne. V Mucci and A Van Ombergen were funded by the PRODEX programme of the Belgian Science Policy during the time the study was developed and performed. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organisation or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilised in the production of this manuscript.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank all the respondents that participated in this research. The authors would also like to thank M Dai and S Yakushin from Icahn School of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Mount Sinai, (New York, USA); as well as Y-H Cha from the Laureate Institute of Brain Research, (Tulsa, OK, USA), for assisting with the patient recruitment process. The authors would also like to thank JA Shaw (KOW) for providing language help, writing assistance and proofreading of the article.

Additional information

Funding

This publication was supported by the Future Science Early Research Career Award awarded to V Mucci. This work was supported by a Western Sydney University Research Initiatives Early Career Researchers Grant awarded to CJ Browne. V Mucci and A Van Ombergen were funded by the PRODEX programme of the Belgian Science Policy during the time the study was developed and performed. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organisation or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.