title: Postural stability in patients with different types of head and neck trauma in comparison to healthy subjects.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Dizziness is a common complaint in patients following mild head or neck trauma, but neurological signs are usually rare or absent. The aim of the study was to compare postural control in patients with different types of head and neck trauma to healthy subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Balance function was evaluated by computerized dynamic platform posturography (CDPP) in 57 dizzy patients with whiplash injury (n = 11), mild head trauma without loss of consciousness (HTNLC) (n = 23), whiplash injury and mild head trauma without loss of consciousness (WHTNLC) (n = 12) and mild head trauma with loss of consciousness (n = 11) and in 14 healthy subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to healthy subjects and after adjustment for inter-group age differences, sway index (SI) was significantly higher in patients with WHTNLC in three of the tests. There were no significant differences within the patient group according to type of injury. When time following the injury was considered, the SI was non-significantly higher within the first week after trauma compared to other time intervals.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The severity of the postural abnormality in patients with head and/or neck trauma is not uniform and is influenced by the type of trauma.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Neurology , Assaf Harofeh Medical Center , Zerifin , Israel.|b Sackler School of Medicine , Tel Aviv University , Tel Aviv , Israel.
authors.forename: Revital
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gandelman-Marton
authors.affiliation: a Department of Neurology , Assaf Harofeh Medical Center , Zerifin , Israel.|b Sackler School of Medicine , Tel Aviv University , Tel Aviv , Israel.
authors.forename: Aharon
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arlazoroff
authors.affiliation: c Department of Physical Therapy, The Sackler Faculty of Medicine , Tel Aviv University , Tel Aviv , Israel.
authors.forename: Zeevi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Dvir
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D012678:Sensation Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014911:Whiplash Injuries / Q000150:complications*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Mild traumatic brain injury; loss of consciousness; postural balance; whiplash injury