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Published in: Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery 1/2022

17-08-2020 | Central Nervous System Trauma | Original Article

Vestibular Assessment in Patients with Persistent Symptoms of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Authors: Sadegh Jafarzadeh, Akram Pourbakht, Eshagh Bahrami

Published in: Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery | Special Issue 1/2022

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Abstract

Aim

The estimated worldwide incidence of TBI is 10 million cases per year. Dizziness and imbalance are two common symptoms in mild TBI (mTBI). In about 10–15% of TBI patients, these symptoms remain for a long time and may show no recovery. These persistent symptoms may relate to different factors including vestibular abnormalities. The aim of this study is a vestibular assessment of patients with persistent symptoms of mTBI by different tests including computerized dynamic posturography.

Materials and Methods

21 patients with mTBI evaluated in this study. Patients were civilians with persistent symptoms. TBI did cause by blunt force trauma (mainly from falling) in the past 6 months. They had normal neurologic and musculoskeletal assessments and no temporal bone fracture. Several auditory and vestibular evaluations were performed for each patient. They included: case history, otoscopy, pure tone and speech audiometry, tympanometry, vestibular bedside examination (spontaneous nystagmus, gaze, saccade, pursuit, Dix–Hallpike maneuver, side-lying maneuver, roll, and Romberg test), cervical Vestibular Myogenic Evoked Potential (c-VEMP), Computerized Dynamic Posturography (CDP) and Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI).

Results

Patients showed hearing loss in 10 (47.6%) and tinnitus in 4 (19.0%) cases. In ocular motor tests, patients had the most abnormal results in the pursuit test. 6 patients also had Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) in the posterior canal. c-VEMP showed abnormal saccular function in 14 patients. In CDP, the composite scores were decreased relative to normal populations.

Conclusion

vestibular tests showed abnormal results in most patients. Vestibular abnormality could relate to persisting symptoms of mTBI patients.
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Metadata
Title
Vestibular Assessment in Patients with Persistent Symptoms of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors
Sadegh Jafarzadeh
Akram Pourbakht
Eshagh Bahrami
Publication date
17-08-2020
Publisher
Springer India
Published in
Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery / Issue Special Issue 1/2022
Print ISSN: 2231-3796
Electronic ISSN: 0973-7707
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12070-020-02043-0

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