An evaluation of benign positional vertigo begins with a medical history and physical examination.

Physical findings with benign positional vertigo may include:

• Nystagmus:
• Abnormal jerky eye movements.
• Vertigo that is triggered by position
• Benign vertigo can usually be triggered by positioning the head 45 degrees to one side, while leaning the head back off of the end of the bed. This maneuver is called a Nylen-Barany or Hallpike-Dix test. The dizziness usually lasts only a few minutes. If this maneuver does not reproduce the vertigo, another condition may be causing the dizziness.

Tests may be required to exclude more serious causes of dizziness. Brain imaging studies can be used to detect a brain tumor, acoustic neuroma, or stroke.

Tests that may be used to evaluate benign positional vertigo include:

• CT scanning of the brain
• MRI scan of the brain

Other neurologic tests that may be used to evaluate benign positional vertigo include:

• Audiometric testing
• Auditory evoked potentials
• EEG
• Electronystagmography