Citation

Wright WG, Handy JD, Haskell A, Servatius L, Servatius R. J. Neurotrauma 2022; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, Mary Ann Liebert Publishers)

DOI

10.1089/neu.2020.7600

PMID

35229645

Abstract

A recent study in active duty military in the Coast Guard suggested lifetime experience with mTBI was associated with subtle deficits in postural control when exposed to multisensory discordance (i.e. rotating visual stimulation). The present study extended postural assessments to veterans recruited from the community. Service veterans completed the Defense Veteran Brain Injury Center (DVBIC) TBI Screening Tool, PTSD Checklist (PCL-5), and neurobehavioral symptom inventory (NSI). Postural control was assessed using a custom designed virtual reality based device, which assessed center of pressure (COP) sway in response to six conditions designed to test sensory integration by systematically combining three visual conditions (eyes open, eyes closed, and rotating scene) with two somatosensory conditions (firm or foam surface). Veterans screening positive for lifetime experience of mTBI (mTBI+) displayed similar postural sway to veterans without lifetime experience of mTBI (mTBI-) on basic assessment of eyes open or closed on firm and foam surface. mTBI+ veterans displayed greater sway than mTBI- veterans in response to the rotating visual stimuli while on a foam surface. Similar to previous research the degree of sway was affected by the number of lifetime experiences of mTBI. Increased postural sway was not related to PTSD, NSI, or, balance-specific symptom expression. In summary, veterans who experienced mTBI over their lifetime exhibited dysfunction in balance control as revealed by challenging conditions with multisensory discordance. These balance-related signs were independent of self-reported balance-related symptoms or other symptom domains measured by the NSI, which can provide a method for exposing otherwise covert dysfunction long after experience of mTBI.

Language: en

Keywords

TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY; ADULT BRAIN INJURY; HUMAN STUDIES; MILITARY INJURY; SENSORY FUNCTION