PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: Balance disturbances occur in ∼30% of concussion injuries, with vestibular dysfunction reported as the main contributor. However, few have studied oculomotor control post-concussion to assess vestibular dysfunction. RESEARCH DESIGN: The current research measured the differences in oculomotor control between athletes post-concussion (PC) and athletes without concussion (NC) during an active balance control task. METHODS: Nine PC and nine NC athletes wore a monocular eye tracking device, while balance tests were performed using the Nintendo WiiFit® soccer heading game. Average game scores, eye deviations from centre (Gaze Deviations) and gaze fixation (Percentage Time on Centre) were measured. RESULTS: PC made significantly greater Gaze Deviations from centre compared to NC (p < 0.001), however Percentage Time on Centre and game scores were not significantly different between groups. Correlations between gaze and balance within groups revealed a significant positive correlation in NC, while a significant negative correlation in PC. CONCLUSIONS: Results from this exploratory examination of oculomotor behaviour post-concussion revealed significant differences in gaze stability between athletes with a concussion and those without, suggesting vestibular involvement post-concussion. Assessment of oculomotor control during balance activities may provide further insight into dysfunction of the vestibular system following a concussion injury.
PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: Balance disturbances occur in ∼30% of concussion injuries, with vestibular dysfunction reported as the main contributor. However, few have studied oculomotor control post-concussion to assess vestibular dysfunction. RESEARCH DESIGN: The current research measured the differences in oculomotor control between athletes post-concussion (PC) and athletes without concussion (NC) during an active balance control task. METHODS: Nine PC and nine NC athletes wore a monocular eye tracking device, while balance tests were performed using the Nintendo WiiFit® soccer heading game. Average game scores, eye deviations from centre (Gaze Deviations) and gaze fixation (Percentage Time on Centre) were measured. RESULTS: PC made significantly greater Gaze Deviations from centre compared to NC (p < 0.001), however Percentage Time on Centre and game scores were not significantly different between groups. Correlations between gaze and balance within groups revealed a significant positive correlation in NC, while a significant negative correlation in PC. CONCLUSIONS: Results from this exploratory examination of oculomotor behaviour post-concussion revealed significant differences in gaze stability between athletes with a concussion and those without, suggesting vestibular involvement post-concussion. Assessment of oculomotor control during balance activities may provide further insight into dysfunction of the vestibular system following a concussion injury.
Authors: Carolina P Quintana; Tamara C Valovich McLeod; Anne D Olson; Nicholas R Heebner; Matthew C Hoch Journal: Sports Med Date: 2021-01-05 Impact factor: 11.136
Authors: Uzma Samadani; Robert Ritlop; Marleen Reyes; Elena Nehrbass; Meng Li; Elizabeth Lamm; Julia Schneider; David Shimunov; Maria Sava; Radek Kolecki; Paige Burris; Lindsey Altomare; Talha Mehmood; Theodore Smith; Jason H Huang; Christopher McStay; S Rob Todd; Meng Qian; Douglas Kondziolka; Stephen Wall; Paul Huang Journal: J Neurotrauma Date: 2015-02-06 Impact factor: 5.269
Authors: Nicholas G Murray; Brian Szekely; Arthur Islas; Barry Munkasy; Russell Gore; Marian Berryhill; Rebecca J Reed-Jones Journal: J Neurotrauma Date: 2019-10-11 Impact factor: 5.269
Authors: Graham D Cochrane; Jennifer B Christy; Anwar Almutairi; Claudio Busettini; Mark W Swanson; Katherine K Weise Journal: Optom Vis Sci Date: 2019-04 Impact factor: 1.973
Authors: Jeffrey J Bazarian; Robert J Elbin; Douglas J Casa; Gillian A Hotz; Christopher Neville; Rebecca M Lopez; David M Schnyer; Susan Yeargin; Tracey Covassin Journal: JAMA Netw Open Date: 2021-02-01