New Therapy Reduces Chronic Concussion Symptoms in 5 Days

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., Oct. 2, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- A recent peer-reviewed study published in Frontiers in Neurology: Neurotrauma Section (Impact Factor 3.552) showing "statistical and substantive significant decreases in Post Concussive Syndrome (PCS) symptom severity after treatment…" may suggest important improvements in treating sports-related head trauma.

Researchers from the Bedfordshire Centre for Mental Health Research in association with the University of Cambridge, University of Cincinnati, Carrick Institute, Plasticity Brain Centers and Harvard Macy- MGH Institutes studied whether head-eye vestibular motion (HEVM) therapy is associated with decreased symptoms and increased function in post concussive syndrome patients who have been severely impaired for greater than 6 months after a mild traumatic brain injury.

The investigators reviewed the medical records of 620 post-concussive patients exhibiting Post Concussive Syndrome. The inclusion criteria included only individuals who had sustained a sport-related concussion, had persistent and debilitating symptoms for greater than 6 months, and who had not responded to prior interventions. The selection of subjects based upon the defined criteria yielded a population sample of 70 patients.

As described in the text, each patient was assessed individually, utilizing instrumentation designed to measure and quantify over 40 variables such as symptoms, cognitive function, reaction time, vestibular-ocular function, gaze-holding, and eye-tracking. 

The treatments that were administered consisted of the following five components, over a 5-day "intensive" period:

1. Head-Eye Vestibular Movements (HEVM) performed 5 times per day.
2. Head-Hand-Eye Coordination Movements performed 3 times per day.
3. Vestibular-Only Therapies in a Multi-Axis Rotational Chair (MARC) were termed Head-Eye performed twice per day.
4. Somatic-Sensory Limb Movements performed 3 times per day.
5. Spinal Manipulation Therapy of the Cervical Spine performed when neck tightness prohibited proper head-eye tracking.

After a statistical analysis of these data, the researchers concluded that after 5 days of intensive treatment at their international brain rehabilitation center, there was a significant and substantial change in symptoms of individuals that had been diagnosed with refractory post-concussion syndrome related to a sports-injuries.

The authors also noted a few points of interest:

• The pre-treatment symptom scores did not predict how well someone would perform after treatment. This means that pre-existing symptoms did not correlate with post-treatment results. So patients with very severe symptoms did not have any worse results than those with mild symptoms.
• Irritability and sleep disturbances were the largest predictors of overall symptoms. It is uncertain whether this means that higher symptoms make people more irritable and less able to sleep soundly, or if people with irritability and difficulty sleeping have higher symptoms.
• There was a remarkable improvement in symptoms associated with mental health, such as irritability.

A 5-day intensive therapy scenario involving patient-specific vestibular, ocular, sensory, and physical therapies demonstrated to be an effective modality that might be considered in chronic treatment refractory PCS.

Widely accepted research suggests that Approximately 1.8–3.6 million annual traumatic brain injuries occur in the United States.  Published research has demonstrated that the majority of symptoms that are associated with concussions resolve on their own within 14-30 days.

However, in about 10% of all cases the symptoms experienced after sustaining a head trauma enter a "chronic"phase, in which symptoms may persist for weeks, to months, or even permanently. Once symptoms are experienced for greater than three months, a patient may be diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome.

Currently, there is no widely accepted treatment for Post-Concussion Syndrome.  Patients' symptoms are typically managed with pharmaceuticals and are often prescribed physical and behavioral therapy.

Dr. Frederick Carrick, Professor of Neurology and Senior Research Fellow at BCMHR in association with the University of Cambridge, UK is the Principle Investigator and also the founder of Carrick Institute.  The Carrick Institute has taught thousands of clinicians advanced treatment techniques as part of their Brain Injury Rehabilitation certification program that includes receptor based essentials and vestibular rehabilitation to more effectively help patients recover from brain injuries.

For more information on the type of treatment provided in this study, please visit www.PlasticityBrainCenters.com or contact Plasticity Brain Centers of Orlando at 855-955-9727.

[1] Front. Neurol., 22 August 2017 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2017.00414
Head–Eye Vestibular Motion Therapy Affects the Mental and Physical Health of Severe Chronic Postconcussion Patients

Frederick Robert Carrick  Joseph F. Clark,  Guido Pagnacco,  Matthew M. Antonucci,  Ahmed Hankir,  Rashid Zaman, and Elena Oggero.
Bedfordshire Centre for Mental Health Research in Association with University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
Neurology, Carrick Institute, Cape Canaveral, FL, United States
Harvard Macy Institute and MGH Institute of Health Professions, Boston, MA, United States
Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States
Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, United States
Neurology, Plasticity Brain Center, Orlando, FL, United States
Psychiatry, Carrick Institute, Cape Canaveral, FL, United States
Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom

SOURCE Carrick Institute