Concussion History and the Long-Term Effects on Balance and Symptomology

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the long-term effects of concussion history on balance and concussion symptomatology. Thirty-seven individuals, either experiencing no concussion, one concussion, or two or more concussion, were assessed then compared based on their balance scores. Participants were given a demographic questionnaire, the Rivermead Post Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire, and the Balance Error Scoring System assessment (BESS). Results indicated no significant difference between no history of a concussion and one concussion on the RPQ-3 and RPQ-13. There were significant differences between RPQ-3 and RPQ-13 with those that had two or more concussions-suggesting that two or more concussions were significantly related to higher symptom severity on the Rivermead compared to the other groups. Individuals that reported one concussion compared to no history of concussions showed significantly higher scores on the BESS. However, there was a marginal significant difference in balance between no concussion history and two or more concussions. There were no significant differences between one concussion or more than one concussion on balance. Future studies should continue to investigate the role of prolonged concussions symptoms, specifically the effects of multiple concussions on balance.