Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42346758›Full record

ReviewJournal of functional morphology and kinesiology2026

Motorist's Disorientation Syndrome-A Narrative Review.

Georges Dumas, Pierre Denise, Art Mallinson, Enrico Armato, Hannes Petersen, Philippe Perrin

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Journal of functional morphology and kinesiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Georges DumasResearch Unit DevAH-Development, Adaptation and Handicap, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lorraine, 54500 Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France.ORCID 0000-0002-8311-0322
Pierre DeniseInserm, COMETE U1075, CYCERON, Université de Caen Normandie, CHU de Caen, 14000 Caen, France.ORCID 0000-0002-9049-7692
Art MallinsonDivision of Otolaryngology, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada.
Enrico ArmatoResearch Unit DevAH-Development, Adaptation and Handicap, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lorraine, 54500 Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France.ORCID 0000-0002-8230-3122
Hannes PetersenDepartment of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Iceland, 102 Reykjavik, Iceland.ORCID 0000-0002-2327-523X
Philippe PerrinResearch Unit DevAH-Development, Adaptation and Handicap, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lorraine, 54500 Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France.ORCID 0000-0002-4381-0850

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Motorist's disorientation syndrome (MDS) is seen in 1 to 5% of patients in a tertiary neurotology clinic and remains an underdiagnosed pathology. It was first described in 1985 by Page & Gresty, using the term "visual vertigo". Patients described sensations of veering or turning over while driving an automobile when visual input was restricted. This was exacerbated at high speeds, on winding roads, going down hills, or when overtaken by a vehicle. All patients in this initial study had peripheral or central neurotological abnormalities and showed exaggerated responses during optokinetic stimulation. Some sufferers considered giving up driving. The first aims of this narrative review were to delineate the symptoms of MDS as detailed in the literature, to outline precipitating situations and to discuss associated pathologies such as anxiety. The second aim was to differentiate MDS from similar syndromes, such as persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD) and motion sickness (MS). In addition, we looked at the role of vestibular assessments and discussed the involvement of the otolith organs and semicircular canals. In this review, eight publications were analyzed. MDS is related to a visual-vestibular or a visio-visual conflict and occurs in drivers (both males and females). It is associated with anxiety in 17-39% of cases. Mild vestibular-test abnormalities or exaggerated response to opto-kinetic stimulations are seen in 60-100% of cases. Between 50 and 62% of patients have a migraine history. Convergence and strabismic problems are also often seen. Symptoms usually settle after 6 ± 4 years but can persist for longer in females. MDS is multifactorial, and similar to certain forms of PPPD but different than MS. Its pathophysiology is still in question, and we support the role of the velocity storage integrator as a recent hypothesis. Treatment includes vestibular rehabilitation, virtual reality, cognitive behavioral therapies and orthoptic sessions, and the results are promising. The authors also strongly feel that future research on clarifying MDS pathology should study a wider scope of vestibular assessments to evaluate semicircular canal/otolithic function, as well as the vestibulo-ocular reflex, analyze optokinetic nystagmus time constant, and perform a systematic orthoptic examination.

Indexed as

cognitive behavioral therapiesmotorist disorientation syndromeoptokinetic nystagmusvelocity storage integratorvestibular testsvisio-vestibular conflictvisio-visual conflictvisual vertigo

Identifiers

PMID42346758
PMCPMC13302275

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.