Habituation deficit of the nociceptive R2 blink reflex: functional changes in patients with phobic postural vertigo (PPV)

Aims: Studies have shown that patients exposed to repeated stimuli perceive further stimulation as being less intense. This is termed habituation and is intended to prevent the organism from overstimulation and enables it to concentrate better on new incoming stimulation that may be more important. Habituation deficit is generally considered to reflect cortical overexcitability or central sensitization and was described in several chronic pain conditions such as migraine or tension-type headache. Phobic postural vertigo (PPV) is often followed by organic vertigo disease such as vestibular neuritis, benign paroxy…