Peripheral Vestibular and Balance Function in Athletes With and Without Concussion

Background and Purpose: According to the most recent consensus statement on management of sport-related concussion (SRC), athletes with suspected SRC should receive a comprehensive neurological examination. However, which measures to include in such an examination are not defined. Our objectives were to (1) evaluate test-retest reliability and normative data on vestibular and balance tests in athletes without SRC; (2) compare athletes with and without SRC on the subtests; and (3) identify subtests for concussion testing protocols. Methods: Healthy athletes (n = 87, mean age 20.6 years; standard deviation = 1.8 years; 39 female and 48 male) and athletes with SRC (n = 28, mean age 20.7 years; standard deviation = 1.9 years; 11 female and 17 male) were tested using rotary chair, cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potential (c-VEMP), and the Sensory Organization Test (SOT). A subset (n = 43) were tested twice. We analyzed reliability of the tests, and compared results between athletes with and without SRC. Results: Reliability ranged from poor to strong. There was no significant difference between athletes with and without SRC for tests of peripheral vestibular function (ie, rotary chair and c-VEMP). Athletes with SRC had significantly worse scores (P
Source: Journal of Neurologic Physical Therapy - Category: Physiotherapy Tags: Research Articles Source Type: research