Background: The demographic and clinical characteristics of vestibular migraine (VM) based on the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD)-III beta are not well documented, and the underlying pathophysiology remains largely unknown. Based on evidence that central sensitization is involved in VM pathogenesis, we hypothesized that cutaneous allodynia (CA), which is a clinical manifestation of central sensitization, and interictal widespread pressure hyperalgesia (IWPH), which may

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... be an accelerator for central sensitization, are more frequently associated with VM patients compared with non-VM patients. The aim of this study was as follows: 1) to assess differences in demographic and clinical characteristics among VM patients, patients with migraine with vestibular symptoms not meeting VM criteria (MwVS), and patients with migraine without vestibular symptoms (MwoVS); and 2) to evaluate whether VM patients were more frequently associated with CA/IWPH compared with the other two groups.Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled consecutive migraine patients, aged 18–65. The comprehensive interview form included diagnostic questions of migraine and VM, demographic characteristics, migraine-specific variables, migraine-associated symptoms, and CA. IWPH occurrence was investigated using a manual tender point survey and clinical parameters were compared.Results: A total of 245 episodic migraineurs (mean age = 39.5 ± 11.3 years, 81.2% women) were enrolled. Based on ICHD-III beta criteria, 65 (26.5%), 74 (30.2%), and 106 (43.3%) patients were assigned to the VM group, MwVS group, or MwoVS group, respectively. Pairwise comparisons demonstrated no significant differences between the VM and MwVS groups, except for higher occurrence of headache disability in the VM group. Compared with the MwoVS group, the VM group was significantly associated with aura, severe disability, depression, tinnitus, sleep disorders, multimodal CA, and IWPH.Conclusions: There were no significant differences in clinical features between VM and MwVS groups, except for disability, which was possibly caused by criteria selection bias. VM and MwVS may be on the same disease process spectrum. Widespread multimodal CA, including clinical manifestations of thalamic sensitization, was significantly associated with VM patients compared with MwoVS patients, which indicates that thalamic sensitization may play a key role VM pathogenesis. Furthermore, IWPH may enhance susceptibility to thalamic sensitization.