Utility of Structured Oculomotor, Balance, and Exercise Testing in Civilian Adults with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI). Am J Phys Med Rehabil 2024 Jan 03
Date
01/11/2024Pubmed ID
38206608DOI
10.1097/PHM.0000000000002409Abstract
PURPOSE: Assessments of oculomotor, balance, and exercise function detect different responses to mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) in sport-related mTBI. These assessments are understudied in the adult community mTBI population. We evaluated level 1 trauma center patients with non-sports related mTBI on oculomotor functioning (near point of convergence [NPC] and accommodation [NPA]), balance (Balance Error Scoring System [BESS]), and exercise tolerance (Buffalo Concussion Treadmill Test [BCTT]).
METHODS: A prospective, cohort study of adults with mTBI (N = 36) were assessed at 1 week and (N = 26) 1 month post-mTBI using NPC, NPA, BESS, BCTT, and the Rivermead Post Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire [RPQ]. Prevalence of test impairment and association between performance and mTBI-related symptom burden (RPQ scores) were characterized.
RESULTS: Participants demonstrated varying levels of impairment (e.g., 33.3% oculomotor, 44.1% balance, and 55.6% exercise impairment at 1 week). Participants displayed diverse impairment profiles across assessments. We observed medium-to-large correlations between poorer NPC and BCTT performance and greater mTBI symptom burden.
CONCLUSIONS: Clinical examinations of oculomotor function, balance, and exercise adopted from sport-related concussion assessments detect impairment in adult community members with mTBI. While findings warrant larger-scale replication, they imply that incorporating these simple, structured exams into the assessment of mTBI may facilitate more personalized management strategies.
Author List
DeGroot A, Simons MU, Huber DL, Leddy J, McCrea MA, Johnson BD, Nelson LDAuthors
Michael McCrea PhD Professor in the Neurosurgery department at Medical College of WisconsinLindsay D. Nelson PhD Associate Professor in the Neurosurgery department at Medical College of Wisconsin
