PURPOSE: To determine the incidence of self-reported mood disorders among individuals with vestibular symptoms. CASE REPORT: This study is based on the results collected from 78 patients who presented with vestibular complaints to the Balance Section at the Hospital University of Santa Maria (HUSM). In total, 29 sets of records were excluded due to the lack of information about mood disorders or age <18 years. The study population comprised 48 individuals, 19 men and 29 women, aged 20-84 years, with mean age of 57.8 years. Twenty-one (43.8%) of these 48 individuals had been diagnosed with mood disorders such as depression (12 individuals, 57.2%), 7 with anxiety and 2 (9.5%) with both. Sixteen individuals were under treatment with tranquilizers or antidepressants. The study population included 6 men (28.6%) and 15 (71.4%) women. Their mean age was 40 years (18 individuals, 85.7%). The reported vestibular symptoms included dizziness, imbalance, nausea, vomit, sweating, tinnitus, and headache. CONCLUSION: There was a significant correlation between self-reported mood disorders and the existence of vestibular symptoms. The incidence of vestibular symptoms was greater among women with depression and women aged >40 years. We suggest further investigation into such correlations among this population, in order to avoid aggravating any symptoms and to improve the patients' quality of life.
