Sensitivity of the Balance Error Scoring System and the Sensory Organization Test in the Combat Environment

• Published in: Journal of neurotrauma Vol. 33; no. 7; p. 705
• Main Authors: Haran, F Jay, Slaboda, Jill C, King, Laurie A, Wright, W Geoff, Houlihan, Daniel, Norris, Jacob N
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01-04-2016
• Subjects: Adult; Blast Injuries - complications; Blast Injuries - diagnosis; Brain Concussion - diagnosis; Brain Concussion - etiology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Humans; Male; Mass Screening - methods; Military Personnel; Neurologic Examination - methods; Postural Balance; Retrospective Studies; Sensation Disorders - diagnosis; Sensation Disorders - etiology; Sensitivity and Specificity; SOT; military; BESS; mTBI
• ISSN: 1557-9042
• DOI: 10.1089/neu.2015.4060

This study evaluated the utility of the Balance Error Scoring System (BESS) and the Sensory Organization Test (SOT) as tools for the screening and monitoring of Service members (SMs) with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) in a deployed setting during the acute and subacute phases of recovery. Patient records (N = 699) were reviewed for a cohort of SMs who sustained a blast-related mTBI while deployed to Afghanistan and were treated at the Concussion Restoration Care Center (CRCC) at Camp Leatherneck. On initial intake into the CRCC, participants completed two assessments of postural control, the BESS, and SOT. SMs with mTBI performed significantly worse on the BESS and SOT when compared with comparative samples. When the SOT data were further examined using sensory ratios, the results indicated that postural instability was primarily a result of vestibular and visual integration dysfunction (r > 0.62). The main finding of this study was that the sensitivity of the SOT composite score (50-58%) during the acute phase was higher than previous sensitivities found in the sports medicine literature for impact-related trauma.