Epley Versus Semont-plus Maneuver for Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo
Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)
What this study involves
The registry says this study is recruiting. Individual locations may have different availability.
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Not applicable
- Age range
- 18 years - Not specified
- Sex eligible
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Participants
- 160 Estimated
These are starting points, not an eligibility decision. The research team must review the full requirements.
About the research
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn which of two head-movement treatments works better for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) of the posterior canal in adults. BPPV is a common cause of short spells of spinning dizziness. It happens when tiny crystals come loose inside the balance organ of the inner ear and drift into one of its canals. Changing head position then brings on a spinning feeling, along with quick jerking movements of the eyes.
The main question it aims to answer is:
\* Does one treatment reduce these jerking eye movements more than the other, measured before treatment, 30 minutes after treatment, and 3 days after treatment?
The study will also look at:
- How many participants become free of positional dizziness after treatment
- How many days pass before the dizziness stops
- Whether repeating the treatment at home more times a day shortens recovery
- How often unwanted effects, such as nausea or vomiting, happen with each treatment
Researchers will compare the Semont-plus maneuver to the Epley maneuver, the long-standing standard treatment, to see if it clears the crystals out of the canal faster and more completely.
Participants will:
- Be placed by chance, into the Epley group or the Semont-plus group
- Have the jerking movements of the eyes recorded with video goggles while the doctor moves their head into the position that brings on the dizziness
- Receive their assigned maneuver at the hospital, followed by a second recording about 30 minutes later
- Be taught to carry out the same maneuver on their own at home, as often as they feel able to
- Come back after 3 days for another recording of their eye movements
- Come back after 1 month to talk with the study team about how their dizziness changed over that time
- Keep a short daily diary of their dizziness and of how many times a day they did the maneuver at home
Who may be able to participate?
The list below is the sponsor’s full registry wording. It can include conditions, prior treatment, test results and other requirements. A match in search does not mean you qualify.
Inclusion Criteria:
- Age 18 years or older
- Posterior semicircular canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo of the canalolithiasis type, diagnosed according to the Barany Society 2015 diagnostic criteria
- Unilateral involvement of a single semicircular canal
Exclusion Criteria:
- Involvement of more than one semicircular canal
- Any condition making the repositioning maneuver unsafe, including severe cervical spine disease with restricted range of motion or instability, previous cervical spine fracture, severe osteoporosis, unstable cardiovascular disease, or respiratory failure
- Unable to cooperate with the maneuver
- Any ocular or neurologic condition preventing technically adequate videonystagmography recording, such as inability to keep the eyes open, severe ptosis, or interfering spontaneous nystagmus from another cause
Treatment, groups and participation
The registry may describe treatments and study duration without a complete visit calendar. Ask the study team for the exact schedule, procedures, risks, costs and alternatives. Keep your usual care plan unless your treating clinician tells you otherwise.
- Assignment
- Random assignment
- Masking
- Double masked
Semont-Plus
Not reported in this registry record.
Procedure: Semont-plus
Epley
Not reported in this registry record.
Procedure: Epley
Semont-plus PROCEDURE
Semont-plus liberatory maneuver for posterior canal BPPV, performed by a trained therapist at the enrolment visit. From the upright seated position the head is turned 45 degrees toward the nonaffected side. The body is then moved 150 degrees toward the affected side, so that the head comes to lie about 60 degrees below the earth horizontal and the otoconia are carried beyond the vertex of the canal. The body is next moved 240 degrees toward the nonaffected side, which drives the otoconia toward the vestibule, and the participant is finally brought 90 degrees back to the upright position. Each position is held for about one minute or until the induced nystagmus stops. The maneuver is repeated within the same session if positional nystagmus persists. Participants are then taught to perform it on their own at home, as often as they are able, and to record each home session in a diary.
Epley PROCEDURE
Epley maneuver for posterior canal BPPV, performed by a trained therapist at the enrolment visit. From the upright seated position the head is rotated 45 degrees toward the affected ear. The body is then moved backward so that the head hangs below the earth horizontal. The head is rotated 90 degrees toward the nonaffected ear, after which the whole body is rotated downward until the participant faces the floor with the affected ear pointing toward the ceiling. The participant returns to sitting with the head still rotated 45 degrees toward the nonaffected ear, and the head is turned back to neutral at the end. Each position is held until the induced nystagmus stops, and for at least 30 seconds. The maneuver is repeated within the same session if positional nystagmus persists. Participants are then taught to perform it on their own at home, as often as they are able, and to record each home session in a diary.
What researchers are measuring
Outcome measures describe what is being studied. They are not proof that a treatment works.
Primary measures
Change in average slow-phase velocity of positional nystagmus
Time frame: Before the maneuver, 30 minutes after the maneuver, and 3 days after the maneuver
Not reported in this registry record.
Secondary measures
Proportion of participants with a successful repositioning maneuver
Time frame: 30 minutes and 3 days after the first treatment maneuver
Not reported in this registry record.
Number of days until resolution of positional vertigo
Time frame: From the enrolment visit (day 0) to 1 month
Not reported in this registry record.
Correlation between the number of self-administered maneuvers per day and time to resolution of positional vertigo
Time frame: From the enrolment visit (day 0) to 1 month
Not reported in this registry record.
Number of participants with adverse events during treatment
Time frame: From the enrolment visit (day 0) to 1 month
Not reported in this registry record.
Review the complete result tables and limitations in the official record.
Open official results ↗Research locations (1)
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1 locations
Military Hospital 175Ho Chi Minh City, VietnamRecruiting
Study team and timeline
- Lead sponsor
- Military Hospital 175
- Study start
- Sep 1, 2026 Actual
- Primary completion
- Oct 30, 2027 Estimated
- Study completion
- Nov 30, 2027 Estimated
- First posted
- Aug 26, 2026 Actual
- Last updated
- Nov 10, 2026 Actual
Official study contacts
No central contact is listed. Check the locations and the official record.
Official study title
Efficacy of the Epley Versus Semont-plus Maneuver in Patients With Posterior Semicircular Canal Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo: A Randomized Controlled Trial Using Quantitative Video-Nystagmography Measurement
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Source: ClinicalTrials.gov API v2. Information is submitted by sponsors and investigators. NLM does not approve the safety or science of all listed studies. Registry disclaimer.
Retrieved: Nov 12, 2026 · Last registry update: Nov 10, 2026