[Treatment of vertebrobasilar insufficiency with flunarizine (author's transl)].

Vertigo, buzzing in the ear and other brain stem symptoms are often complained of in connection with disturbed blood supply in elderly patients. These can be objectified by means of an electronystagmography (ENG). In vertebrobasilar insufficiency (VBI), a large number of central pathological ENG findings are determinable in the sense of a general deviation of the parameters. In a pilot study using clinical and apparative otoneurological methods, we systematically examined the labyrinth-depressive effect of a new substance, flunarizine, a further development of cinnarizine. 20 patients (14 men and 6 women, average age 59.8 years) with the cardinal symptom "vertigo" and one or more further symptoms of VBI were examined over a period of 8 weeks. In all cases, the dose was 20 mg/d. An otoneurological examination and questioning were carried out before starting the therapy, after 4 and 8 weeks. Symptoms such as vertigo, otoneurological and vegetative symptoms, vision disorders, other cerebral nerve failures, etc., were recorded and scaled. The objective examination methods at the assessment intervals were ENG, EEG and Doppler sonograph. In 17 of the 20 patients examined, the symptoms of VBI improved considerably, which was objectified by simultaneous normalisation of the ENG findings. 6 patients described their condition after treatment as very good, 9 as good and 2 as satisfactory. Flunarizine proved to be an effective and applicable drug in vertigo of vascular origin in elderly patients.