Reactive Balance Responses After Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: A Scoping Review.
Amanda Morris, Tallie Casucci, Mary M McFarland and 5 others
PMID 35125435WHAT IT FOUND
Only three studies tested reactive balance after mild traumatic brain injury, and they did not agree.
Perturbation tests may find balance problems in people with lingering symptoms, but evidence is too limited to guide treatment.
Key findings
01In athletes tested within ten days of mild traumatic brain injury, there was no effect on reactive postural responses.
02Veterans with chronic imbalance complaints had significantly more upper trunk sway after perturbation than non-veterans and veterans without complaints, and they also showed high-frequency postural oscillations.
03In participants with mild traumatic brain injury who reported lingering balance deficits, perturbation tests were more sensitive than standard clinical balance tests, and walking perturbations discriminated better than standing perturbations.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Only three studies met the inclusion criteria, so the evidence base is very small. The studies used different perturbations, locations, tasks, and outcomes, making results hard to compare. The populations differed in age, symptom severity, and time since injury. No study tested people in the acute period after mild traumatic brain injury, and none used prospective testing, so immediate and long-term effects remain unclear. The review itself states that the small number of available studies signify meager evidence.
Declared interests
The supplied metadata lists research support from non-U.S. government and NIH extramural funding. The article text does not report author conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that reactive balance testing is a proven way to assess or treat balance problems after mild traumatic brain injury. The review found only three heterogeneous studies and says the evidence is meager.