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Published on: November 6, 2020
Chronic Effects of Breaching Blast Exposure on Sensory Organization and Postural Limits of Stability
F J Haran1, Cris Zampieri, Eric M Wassermann
1NeuroTrauma Department, Naval Medical Research Center (Dr Haran and Dr Ahlers); Clinical Center, Rehabilitation Medicine Department, National Institutes of Health (Dr Zampieri); National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health (Dr Wassermann); Clinical & Health Psychology, University of Florida (Ms Polejaeva); Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University (Ms Dell); Center for Military Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (Dr LoPresti and Dr Carr); Department of Radiology and Medical Imaging, University of Virginia (Dr Stone).
Objective:
The goal of this effort to investigate if experienced breachers, professionals with a career history of exposure to repeated low-level blasts, exhibited postural instability.
Methods:
Postural data were examined using traditional tests of means and compared to normative data.
Results:
Breachers had significantly lower NeuroCom Sensory Organization Test (SOT) visual scores (within normative limits), prolonged Limits of Stability (LOS) test reaction time (30% of breachers and 7% of controls testing abnormal), and slower LOS movement velocity (21% of breachers and 0% of controls testing abnormal) compared to controls.
Conclusion:
Our LOS test findings are like those previously reported for students in the military breacher training course and seem to indicate that while acute effects of blasts on sensory control of balance fade away, effects on postural LOS persist over time.
