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Vestibular and Ocular/Oculomotor Assessment Strategies and Outcomes Following Sports-Related Concussion: A Scoping Review

Sports Medicine volume 51, pages 737–757 (2021)Cite this article

Abstract

Background

Recent literature has identified that the vestibular system is often involved following a sport-related concussion. Furthermore, the consequences of vestibular and ocular/oculomotor involvement have been explored and identified as potential predictors for prolonged recovery. Although vestibular and ocular/oculomotor involvement is common following head injury, the clinical assessment strategies for vestibular function are less commonly practiced in the sports medicine setting and have limited research. Therefore, despite the suspected link between vestibular consequences of concussion and prolonged recovery time, there is limited understanding on how these consequences affect outcomes following concussion and how to properly assess these functions.

Objectives

The objectives of this scoping review were to: (1) outline the current clinical assessment strategies for vestibular and ocular/oculomotor function in sports medicine to identify the best strategies for assessment, and (2) investigate the evidence regarding the influence of vestibular and ocular/oculomotor function on outcomes for patients with a sport-related concussion.

Methods

Two separate and independent reviews of the current literature were conducted to provide evidence for each specified objective. Studies for potential inclusion were identified through electronic database searches. Inclusion criteria for each objective were used to identify the most effective studies and inquiries to address the outlined objectives.

Results

The identified and included studies provided evidence-based information regarding the current assessment strategies as well as outcomes following concussion.

Conclusion

Despite agreement among studies, there was limited evidence to support each aim, identifying a need for further exploration into these objectives.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Kinesiology, College of Health and Human Services, California State University, 5275 N. Campus Dr. M/S SG28, Fresno, CA, 93740-8018, USA

    Carolina P. Quintana

  2. Department of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences, A. T. Still University, Mesa, AZ, USA

    Tamara C. Valovich McLeod

  3. School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona, A. T. Still University, Mesa, AZ, USA

    Tamara C. Valovich McLeod

  4. Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, College of Health Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA

    Anne D. Olson

  5. Department of Athletic Training and Clinical Nutition, Sports Medicine Research Institute, College of Health Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA

    Nicholas R. Heebner & Matthew C. Hoch

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  1. Carolina P. Quintana
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  2. Tamara C. Valovich McLeod
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  3. Anne D. Olson
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  4. Nicholas R. Heebner
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Carolina P. Quintana.

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Funding

No sources of funding were used to assist in the preparation of this article.

Conflicts of Interest

Carolina Quintana, Tamara Valovich McLeod, Anne Olson, Nick Heebner and Matthew Hoch declare that they have no conflicts of interest relevant to the content of this review.

Data Availability

The data reported in this manuscript were extracted from tables and figures within the cited manuscripts. Due to the nature of this scoping review, there are no underlying data to be made available.

Authorship Contributions

CQ wrote the first draft of the manuscript. TCVM, AO, NH, and MH revised the original manuscript and revisions. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Quintana, C.P., McLeod, T.C.V., Olson, A.D. et al. Vestibular and Ocular/Oculomotor Assessment Strategies and Outcomes Following Sports-Related Concussion: A Scoping Review. Sports Med 51, 737–757 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-020-01409-2

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