Psy 470: ​Neuroscience

Hi Dr. Roach! This is me and my mom, Shirley. About 10 ​years ago, my mom was diagnosed with Meniere’s Disease, ​which impacted our family lives and dynamic substantially.

While Meniere’s is invisible to the eye, it is a very distressing ​and incurable disease.

Through creating this webpage, I aim to educate about ​Meniere’s and how to support those who have it!

Meneire’s is a complicated disease, and so ​much more happens below the surface than ​one can see.

Meneire’s is caused by a buildup of fluid in the inner ear. ​This fluid lies in the labyrinth (both the bony and ​membranous labyrinth), which includes the cochlea and ​the vestibular system. Fluid buildup causes the nerve ​receptors in the membranous labyrinth to mistake the ​excess fluid for movement, signaling to the brain that the ​body is moving (Harcourt et al., 2014; Minor et al., 2004).

Symptoms of Meneire’s include:

• extreme vertigo
  
• tinnitus

anxiety attacks

• dizziness
  
• nausea

headaches

• Meneire’s typically begins when individuals reach middle ​aged, about 40-55 years old (Johns Hopkins Medicine).
  

(Shapiro, 2019)

While Meniere’s is widely considered a disease of the inner ear, neurological pathways are affected through ​the misfunction on the vestibular membrane and vestibular nerve (Conte et al., 2018).

Recent studies have concluded that not only are the auditory pathways throughout the brain affected by ​Meniere’s Disease, but cognitive functioning rates decline as well (Eraslan Boz, 2023). This is backed by ​ample evidence that hearing loss (which is a side effect of Meniere’s) leads to cognitive impairments and ​higher rates of dementia (​Bhattacharyya et al., 2023; Conte et al., 2018).

Sample cognitive test scores between individuals with no ​impairment, BPPV and Meniere’s Disease

(Bhattacharyya et al., 2023)

Due to the neurological decline associated with the disease, individuals with Meniere’s must be promptly ​diagnosed, as to begin reparative treatments, both for the physical and mental side effects.

A comparison of ​MRIs between inner ​ear with normal fluid ​buildup and one ​with excess fluid ​buildup, causing ​Meneire’s.

Meneire’s Ear

(Hornibrook, 2017)

An ​electrocochleography ​test demonstrating how ​the buildup of ​endolymph is ​diagnosed.

Unfortunately, there is no “cure” for Meniere’s. ​Oftentimes only the vertigo and dizziness can ​be treated, while the hearing loss is permanent ​(Minor et al., 2004).

Things to aid in the symptoms of Meniere’s Disease:

• Low salt diet (aids with vertigo)
  
• Medicines to lessen vertigo (Valium, Antivert etc.)
• Diuretics (lessen amount of fluid in the body)
• Vestibular rehabilitation
• Steroids injected into the middle ear
• Surgery (only used in the most very rarely in severe ​cases)
  

Bhattacharyya, R., Barman, A., Antony, F. (2023). Influence of BPPV and Meniere's Disease on Cognitive Abilities: A Questionnaire-Based Study. Journal of Otology, ​https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joto.2023.11.001

Conte, G., Lo Russo, F. M., Calloni, S. F., Sina, C., Barozzi, S., Di Berardino, F., Scola, E., Palumbo, G., Zanetti, D., & Triulzi, F. M. (2018). MR imaging of ​endolymphatic hydrops in Ménière's disease: not all that glitters is gold. Acta otorhinolaryngologica Italica : organo ufficiale della Societa italiana di otorinolaringologia e ​chirurgia cervico-facciale, 38(4), 369–376. https://doi.org/10.14639/0392-100X-1986

Eraslan Boz, H., Kırkım, G., Koçoğlu, K., Çakır Çetin, A., Akkoyun, M., Güneri, E. A., & Akdal, G. (2023). Cognitive function in Meniere's disease. Psychology, health & ​medicine, 28(4), 1076–1086. https://doi.org/10.1080/13548506.2022.2144637

Harcourt, J., Barraclough, K. & Bronstein, A.M. (2014). Meniere’s Disease. BMJ, 349, https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.g6544

Hornibrook J. (2017). Tone Burst Electrocochleography for the Diagnosis of Clinically Certain Meniere's Disease. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 11, 301. ​https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2017.00301

Johns Hopkins Medicine: Ear Nose and Throat. (n.d.). Meniere Disease. Johns Hopkins Medicine. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-​diseases/menieres-disease#:~:text=Ménière%20disease%20is%20a%20disorder,loss%20of%20balance%2C%20and%20sweating

Liu, Y., Pyykkö, I., Naganawa, S., Marques, P., Gürkov, R., Yang, J., & Duan, M. (2022). Consensus on MR Imaging of Endolymphatic Hydrops in Patients With ​Suspected Hydropic Ear Disease (Meniere). Frontiers in Surgery. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsurg.2022.874971

Minor, L.B., Schessel, D.A., Carey, J.P. (2004). Ménière's disease. Current Opinion in Neurology, 17(1), 9-16.

Shapiro, M.S. (2019). Biopsychology: Fundamentals and Contemporary Issues v1.0. Flatworld.