Effective maneuver of the positional test: turning head and body together.

We performed three maneuvers of the positional test in supine patients: (1) body maneuver, in which patients turned only the body to one side while keeping the head as still as possible; (2) head-only maneuver, in which patients turned only the head to one side while keeping the body still; and (3) head and body maneuver, in which patients turned the head and body together to one side. The nystagmus provocation rates of those three maneuvers among 86 vertiginous patients were 9% in the body maneuver, 16% in the head-only maneuver, and 33% in the head and body maneuver, respectively. We proved that performing the positional test by turning the head and body together is very effective in provoking positional nystagmus.