Search

Abstract Background and objective Dizziness is a common and challenging symptom, which can be caused by different pathophysiological mechanisms and might affect a large number of population. However, up to now, there have been limited research on the characteristics of dizziness as the chief complaint in hospitalized patients in the Department of Neurology. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the hospitalized patients with dizziness as their chief complaint in the Department of Neurology. Methods In this cross‐sectional study, we conducted a retrospective document analysis of hospitalized patients admitted to a tertiary neurological department with the symptom of dizziness during the period of September 2019 to December 2020. We included 211 patients with dizziness as their chief complaint from 1841 patients admitted to this tertiary neurological department during that period. Results Of all 1841 hospitalized patients, those with dizziness as the chief complaint accounted for 11.5% and most of their past medical history included hypertension, diabetes, cerebrovascular diseases, dyslipidemia, and coronary heart disease. Among these 211 patients, dizziness was more common in women than in men (p = .004). More patients presented with vertigo (40.8%) and light‐headedness (39.8%) than disequilibrium (17.1%) and pre‐syncope (2.4%). Nausea (48.3%), vomiting (34.1%), headache (13.3%), walking unsteadily (13.3%), and ear symptoms (12.8%) were the most common concomitant symptoms. Dix‐Hallpike test (24.6%) and Romberg's sign (11.4%) were positive in these dizzy patients. Nystagmus (2.4%), vision changes (1.4%), and hearing disorders (8.5%) were relatively rare symptoms. Common auxiliary examinations were performed, such as magnetic resonance imaging (60.2%), computed tomography (31.8%), carotid duplex ultrasound (30.8%), and echocardiography (28.0%). Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (24.2%) and stroke/transient ischemic attack (19.0%) were confirmed to be common causes of dizziness. Note that 97.2% of dizzy patients were in improved recovery after treatment. Conclusion The diagnosis and management of dizziness remain a challenge for clinicians. Vertigo and light‐headedness were the most common symptoms among different types of dizziness. Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo and stroke/transient ischemic attack were among the leading causes for common dizziness disorders. The prognosis of most dizzy patients was good.

Vestibular migraine (VM) is one of the most debilitating chronic diseases that is currently underdiagnosed and undertreated. The treatment of VM is a dynamic and rapidly advancing area of research. New developments in this field have the potential to improve the diagnosis and provide more individualized treatments for this condition. In this review, we discussed the progress of evidence-based treatment of VM, including pharmacotherapy and nonmedical methods. A search of the literature was conducted up to September 2019. In order to control or cure VM, patients should follow three steps. First, patients should comply with diet and behavioral medication; Second, during the attack of VM, patients should take medicine to control the symptoms. These acute attack treatment of VM consists of antiemetic medications (e.g., dimenhydrinate and benzodiazepines), anti-vertigo medicine, and analgesics (e.g. triptans). Third, prophylactic medicine (e.g., propranolol, topiramate, valproic aid, lamotrigine, and flunarizine) can be used to reduce the frequency and severity of VM attack. Also, vestibular rehabilitation (VR) treatment should be considered for all VM. Meanwhile, we also propose to establish a culture of prevention which is essential for reducing the personal, social and economic burden of VM.

In recent years, heavy ion accelerator technology has been rapidly developing worldwide and widely applied in the fields of space radiation simulation and particle therapy. Usually, a very high uniformity in the irradiation area is required for the extracted ion beams, which is crucial because it directly affects the experimental precision and therapeutic effect. Specifically, ultra-large-area and high-uniformity scanning are crucial requirements for spacecraft radiation effects assessment and serve as core specification for beamline terminal design. In the 300 MeV proton and heavy ion accelerator complex at the Space Environment Simulation and Research Infrastructure (SESRI), proton and heavy ion beams will be accelerated and ultimately delivered to three irradiation terminals. In order to achieve the required large irradiation area of 320 mm×320 mm, horizontal and vertical scanning magnets are used in the extraction beam line. However, considering the various requirements for beam species and energies, the tracking accuracy of power supplies (PSs), the eddy current effect of scanning magnets, and the fluctuation of ion bunch structure will reduce the irradiation uniformity. To mitigate these effects, a beam uniformity optimization method based on the measured beam distribution was proposed and applied in the accelerator complex at SESRI. In the experiment, the uniformity is successfully optimized from 75% to over 90% after five iterations of adjustment to the PS waveforms. In this paper, the method and experimental results were introduced.