Children show decreased dynamic balance after mild traumatic brain injury.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the balance skills of children after mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) with that of noninjured children matched for age, sex, and premorbid level of physical activity.


METHODS
Cohort study.


METHODS
Pediatric trauma center.


METHODS
Thirty-eight children aged 7 to 16 years (mean, 12.2+/-2.8 y) were recruited in each group. Children with mild TBI had a mean Glasgow Coma Scale score of 14.8 and were considered normal on a neurologic assessment at hospital discharge. Noninjured children were friends of those with mild TBI.


METHODS
Assessments of balance were conducted at 1, 4, and 12 weeks after mild TBI and at corresponding time intervals for the controls.


METHODS
The balance subtest of the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (BOTMP), the Pediatric Clinical Test of Sensory Interaction for Balance (P-CTSIB), and the Postural Stress Test (PST) were used.


RESULTS
Over the time interval of the study, analyses of variance revealed that children with mild TBI performed significantly worse than the noninjured group on the BOTMP balance subtest (P<.001) and on the PST (P=.031), as well as on the eyes-closed conditions in the P-CTSIB tandem position (P=.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Children with a mild TBI still showed balance deficits at 12 weeks postinjury. These deficits should be taken into consideration when planning a return to physical activities, particularly to those that require subtle balance skills.
Gagnon
Isabelle
I
Ecole de Réadaptation, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada. gagnon6@sympatico.ca
Swaine
Bonnie
B
Friedman
Debbie
D
Forget
Robert
R
D000293:Adolescent; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology; D012678:Sensation Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013997:Time Factors; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices