Balance and Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: The Effect of a Weighted Compression Vest

Lawson Health Research Institute

Status

Unknown

Conditions

Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Treatments

Device: Weighted Compression Vest

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT02084329

104865

Details and patient eligibility

About

After a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) people often report balance problems. At Parkwood hospital we have noticed that balance is improved when patients with mTBI wear a weighted compression vest. This follow up pilot study looks at the immediate effects of weighted compression vests on participants with altered balance after mTBI. Participants will be recruited from the Ministry of Health Outpatient Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) Program wait list. Then each participant will perform a series of balance and walking tests under 2 conditions : 1) wearing a weighted compression vest , 2) not wearing a weighted compression vest. It will be randomized whether participants wear the vest on the first or second testing day. Participants will also be asked how confident they are about their balance and how anxious they felt performing the assessments after each testing session. We hypothesize that the weighted compression vest will improve fatigue and anxiety immediately and 24 hours after performing a complex task, and will improve static and dynamic balance, gait variability, and walking speed in patients with mTBI, during the tasks.

Enrollment

30 estimated patients

Sex

All

Ages

18 to 65 years old

Volunteers

No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Diagnosed concussion. Symptoms persistent for more than 3 months. Self-reported balance deficits. Participants have been referred by a physician to the Outpatient ABI team at Parkwood. Participants have been screened by the ABI team and are currently awaiting treatment. No other diagnosed orthopedic injuries or significant health conditions. Able to follow instructions

Exclusion criteria