Positive Rate for Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo Higher in Morning Than Evening

THURSDAY, Nov. 6, 2025 (HealthDay News) — For benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), the overall positive rate for positional tests is significantly higher in the morning than in the evening, according to a study published online Oct. 6 in Frontiers in Neurology.

Qiuping Lu, from the Southern Medical University in Foshan, China, and colleagues conducted a retrospective analysis of clinical records from 929 patients with a medical history consistent with BPPV diagnosis to examine timing of examinations and diagnostic findings. Morning examinations were initiated from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., while afternoon examinations were performed between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.

Overall, 590 and 339 individuals were examined in the morning and afternoon (63.51 and 36.49 percent, respectively). The researchers found that the positive rate of BPPV testing was 72.54 and 64.01 percent in the morning and afternoon groups, respectively. The percentage of posterior semicircular canal BPPV was 52.20 percent in the morning and 45.43 percent in the afternoon. For horizontal semicircular canal BPPV, the corresponding percentages were 19.49 and 17.70 percent. For both canal types, the highest positive rate was seen between 8:00 a.m. and 8:59 a.m. and lowest was seen between 2:00 p.m. and 2:59 p.m. (74.6 and 51.9 percent, respectively). A strong association was seen for examination timing in a multivariate analysis, with no correlation seen between age/gender and positive testing.

“From a clinical point of view, these findings highlight the importance of optimizing examination schedules to improve diagnostic and treatment strategies for BPPV patients,” the authors write.

One author disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.

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