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Citation
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Ulman S, Erdman AL, Loewen A, Worrall HM, Tulchin-Francis K, Jones JC, Chung JS, Ellis HB, Cullum CM, Miller SM. Brain Inj. 2022; ePub(ePub): ePub. |
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Abstract
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OBJECTIVE: Accurate assessment of balance recovery throughout treatment of a sport-related concussion is imperative. This study examined differences in balance from diagnosis to return-to-play initiation in adolescent patients post-concussion. Second, this study investigated the extent to which the Balance Error Scoring System (BESS) correlated with center-of-pressure (COP) measures.
METHODS: Forty participants performed the BESS while standing on a force platform such that COP data were obtained simultaneously. Spatial and velocity COP-based measures were computed for the double-stance conditions.
RESULTS: BESS scores and COP-based measures indicated improved balance performance between visits. Specifically, 62.5/65.0% of participants exhibited improved firm/foam BESS final scores, respectively, and 56.4-71.8% exhibited improved COP-based measures. However, once normative ranges were referenced to identify maintained performance, the percentage of participants who substantially improved differed from initial findings (BESS: 2.5/7.5%, COP: 48.7-69.2%). Additionally, positive correlations between balance measures were primarily found at diagnosis (r=0.33-0.53), while only three correlations were maintained at return-to-play initiation (r=0.34-0.39).
CONCLUSIONS: BESS scores successfully identified poor balance performance at diagnosis when symptoms were most pronounced, but failed to accurately depict performance once balance impairment, indicated by COP-based measures, became less apparent. Further work is needed to implement more advanced balance assessments into clinical environments.
Language: en |