Abstracts of Current Articles

S OF CURRENT ARTICLES Diphenidol in Labyrinthine Vertigo: A Controlled Clinical Evaluation Futaki T, et al: Practica Otologica Kyoto, 65:85-105,1972 Using a double-blind study, diphenidol (a nonphenothiazine compound) 75 mg/day per os was compared to placebo in 24 patients with labyrinthine vertigo, i.e., typical or atypical Meniere's disease. A crossover method of three weeks and three weeks was used. Before drug administration, three weeks after the beginning, and end point (six weeks after the beginning), tinnitus, vertiginous attack, dizziness, nausea, headache and shoulder stiffness were checked and graded from 0 to 3. Repeated equilibrium function tests (including electronystagmography ) were performed. Subjective symptoms were evaluated by global judgement and statistically treated by sequential analysis (Armitage). The result indicated that diphenidol was significantly more effective than the placebo (a = 0.05, 1 (3 0.95, (), = 0.85). Objectively, in acceleration registrogram (a tilt test), diphenidol reduced body unsteadiness (significant by t-test; P = 0.05). Concerning caloric response, diphenidol diminished the directional difference in maximum eye speed of slow component and maximum intensity significantly. Apparently diphenidol improved the imbalance of labyrinthine excitability in Meniere's disease. No side effects were observed in this series.