The Effectiveness of Anti-vertigo Drugs as Described in Therapeutic Reports in Japan

Abstract

From the bibliographical investigation of the effectiveness of anti-vertigo drugs as described in the therapeutic reports of the department of Oto-laryngology of Osaka University Medical School from 1959 to 1980 and from other reports in this country from the period of 1967 through 1979, the authors arrived at the following conclusions.
1. There was no consistent pattern of correlation between the type of anti-vertigo drugs and the type of diseases with vertigo.
2. The effectiveness of anti-vertigo drugs for the diseases with vertigo in general had a relatively consistent pattern of 30-50% effectiveness if the categories “effective” and others better than that are included in the statistical study. When the category “relatively effective” was also included, the percentage of effectiveness increased to 45-85%, but the difference was more marked.
3. There was no significant difference in the effectiveness of anti-vertigo drugs for Meniere's disease from that for other diseases with vertigo. By double blind studies, isoproterenol was found to be slightly more effective for Meniere's disease than for other diseases, but diphenidol, ifenprodil, etc. also tended to show similar effects on this disease.