Factors Associated with Outcomes in Patients with Vestibular Symptoms Related to Traumatic Brain Injury
Abstract
Objective: Dizziness and imbalance are common symptoms following head injury that can continue for months or years in some individuals. Multiple causes of post-concussive dizziness can present a challenge to diagnosis, and obstacle to treatment. The Departments of Veterans Affairs and Defense (VA/DoD) developed clinical practice guidelines that outline recommendations for managing individuals with post-concussive dizziness, but it is unclear how these recommendations impact treatment for post-concussion dizziness/imbalance. The purpose of this study is to determine factors that contribute to successful outcomes of patients with concussion/blast-related dizziness. Methodology: We used VA and DoD health databases to identify and examine characteristics of Veterans with specific (for example, inner ear balance dysfunction) and non-specific diagnoses of post-concussion dizziness. Then, we surveyed Veterans using questionnaires and access the VA electronic medical records to determine factors that impact long-term recovery of post-concussion dizziness. Specifically, we examined the impact of factors such as type of treatment, the presence or absence of health conditions such as headache and anxiety, the severity of head injury, as well as age and gender. Findings: This study revealed that access to specialty care was the best predictor of receipt of a dizziness and/or vestibular dysfunction diagnosis among those who report disruptive dizziness on the Comprehensive Traumatic Brain Injury Evaluation (CTBIE). Further, Black non-Hispanic veterans and those with substance use disorder diagnoses or treatment are significantly less likely to receive these diagnoses, potentially illuminating disparities or barriers in access to or utilization of specialty care for veterans with disruptive dizziness. We sent surveys to 4250 Veterans and received 1062 completed surveys (25% response rate), and chart abstraction were performed on the 1062 Veterans who completed the survey.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2023
- Accession Number
- AD1203252
Entities
People
- Faith W. Akin
- Mary J. Pugh