Session Information
Date: Thursday, November 14, 2019
Session Title: Musculoskeletal and Sports Medicine Research Report
Session Time: 12:30pm-2:00pm
Location: Research Hub - Kiosk 8
Disclosures: Simran Shergill, MD: Nothing to disclose
Objective: To evaluate the relationship between patient symptom report of balance dysfunction with objective changes on the mBESS using the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool 3 (SCAT3).
Design: Retrospective cohort analysis.
Setting: University sports medicine clinic.
Participants: Canadian male university football players (n=270) from 2014-16, of which 35 were diagnosed with a sport-related concussion (SRC).
Interventions : SCAT3 during pre-season (baseline), within 72 hours of SRC and prior to return to play (RTP).
Main Outcome Measures: Pearson correlations between change in symptom evaluation scores (22 individual symptoms, total number of symptoms and symptom severity score) and change in mBESS scores (3 individual stances and total score) in those who suffered a SRC upon serial SCAT3 testing.
Results: Pearson correlation analysis revealed 3/9 somatic, 2/8 cognitive, and 0/5 emotional symptoms, (5/22 total) reached a statistically significant correlation with changes in mBESS total score in those with SRC. Interestingly, “dizziness” and “balance dysfunction” did not. 11/22 symptoms correlated with changes in double leg stance, 0/22 for single leg stance and 6/22 for tandem leg stance. The symptom severity score correlated with change in double leg stance, tandem leg stance and total mBESS. Total number of symptoms did not correlate with any of the sub-scores or total mBESS.
Conclusions: Based on our findings, symptoms of balance dysfunction do not correlate well with the mBESS balance measure on the SCAT3. Medical professionals often rely on patient report of symptom resolution amongst other variables in the determination of RTP in SRC. Ideally, an objective balance measure that correlates well with subjective patient symptom report will lead to safer return to play. Thus, further research is needed to objectively measure balance dysfunction in the context of SRC.
Level of Evidence: Level III
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
Shergill S, Mrazik M, Naidu D. Concussion and Balance: Do Subjective Symptoms Correlate with Objective Modified Balance Error Scoring System (mBESS) Measures? [abstract]. PM R. 2019; 11(S2)(suppl 2). https://pmrjabstracts.org/abstract/concussion-and-balance-do-subjective-symptoms-correlate-with-objective-modified-balance-error-scoring-system-mbess-measures/. Accessed May 22, 2025.« Back to AAPM&R Annual Assembly 2019
PM&R Meeting Abstracts - https://pmrjabstracts.org/abstract/concussion-and-balance-do-subjective-symptoms-correlate-with-objective-modified-balance-error-scoring-system-mbess-measures/