Rizatriptan reduces vestibular-induced motion sickness in migraineurs.

Author(s): Furman JM, Marcus DA, Balaban CD

Affiliation(s): Department of Otolaryngology, Eye and Ear Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 203 Lothrop Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. furmanjm@upmc.edu

Publication date & source: 2011-02, J Headache Pain., 12(1):81-8. Epub 2010 Sep 23.

Publication type: Randomized Controlled Trial; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

A previous pilot study suggested that rizatriptan reduces motion sickness induced by complex vestibular stimulation. In this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study we measured motion sickness in response to a complex vestibular stimulus following pretreatment with either rizatriptan or a placebo. Subjects included 25 migraineurs with or without migraine-related dizziness (23 females) aged 21-45 years (31.0 +/- 7.8 years). Motion sickness was induced by off-vertical axis rotation in darkness, which stimulates both the semicircular canals and otolith organs of the vestibular apparatus. Results indicated that of the 15 subjects who experienced vestibular-induced motion sickness when pretreated with placebo, 13 showed a decrease in motion sickness following pretreatment with rizatriptan as compared to pretreatment with placebo (P < 0.02). This significant effect was not seen when subjects were exposed to more provocative vestibular stimulation. We conclude that the serotonin agonist, rizatriptan, reduces vestibular-induced motion sickness by influencing serotonergic vestibular-autonomic projections.