Exploring Vestibular Ocular Motor Screening in Adults With Persistent Complaints After Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Clinical Medicine
• Rehabilitation Science

Background:

• Persistent symptoms after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) can significantly impact an individual's quality of life.
• Vestibular and ocular motor dysfunction are common sequelae of mTBI.
• Accurate assessment tools are crucial for understanding and managing mTBI-related deficits.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare vestibular ocular motor screening (VOMS) symptoms between healthy adults and those with persistent mTBI symptoms.
• To investigate the relationship between VOMS symptoms and other measures of vestibular and motor function in mTBI patients.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 53 adults with persistent mTBI symptoms (>3 weeks) and 57 healthy controls (aged 18-50).
• Participants underwent VOMS testing, near point of convergence (NPC) measurement, and completed the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI).
• Secondary measures included balance, gait, and higher-level motor ability assessments.

Main Results:

• The mTBI group exhibited significantly more VOMS symptoms and a further NPC compared to healthy controls (P < .001).
• Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) scores were strongly associated with VOMS symptom scores (rho range, 0.53-0.68; P < .001).
• No significant correlations were found between VOMS symptoms and other clinical balance, gait, or motor ability measures.

Conclusions:

• The VOMS is a relevant tool for assessing vestibular and ocular motor deficits in adults with persistent mTBI symptoms.
• The strong association between VOMS and DHI scores supports its utility in capturing vestibular complaints in this population.