title: Balance disorder and traumatic brain injury: preliminary findings of a multi-factorial observational study.
abstract: The pathophysiology of TBI suggests that balance disorder in this population may be associated with multi-system dysfunction, but this has not been widely explored in the literature. This study was undertaken to begin to describe the nature of balance disorder across the TBI population. A clinically-based observational design was employed and data gathered by a standardized process of structured observation. Twenty-seven subjects were recruited across a range of injury severities. The sample was skewed towards mild/moderate injury with a mean summated GCS score of 9.6. Deficits were observed across a wide range of domains at both individual and group level and the overall level of balance dysfunction was high. Summary results are reported here and a more detailed analysis of individual cases is underway. Additional cross-disciplinary research is required to further develop understanding of the nature of balance disorder in this population and to develop appropriate methods of clinical assessment.
authors.affiliation: Sheffield West Primary Care Trust, Sheffied, UK. Maggie.campbell@sheffieldw-pct.nhs.uk
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Parry
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015588:Observer Variation; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D004856:Postural Balance; D011187:Posture; D012678:Sensation Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation