Publications by authors named "Candace Hill-Pearson"

As a predominately young, physically active, and generally healthy population, service members (SMs) with vestibular dysfunction (VD) following a TBI may not be accurately represented by the current civilian reference ranges on assessments of VD. This study enrolled SMs who were referred for vestibular rehabilitation following a mild/moderate TBI. The participants self-reported VD using the Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC) scale and the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) followed by evaluation of vestibular performance using computerized dynamic posturography sensory organizational test (CDP−SOT).

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Objective: To compare clinical outcomes between active duty service members receiving generalized versus individualized vestibular rehabilitation treatment (GVRT and IVRT, respectively) for persistent vestibular-related symptoms following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI).

Setting: An outpatient TBI rehabilitation clinic.

Participants: Fifty-seven participants with persistent vestibular-related symptoms following mTBI were randomly assigned to the GVRT ( n = 28) or IVRT ( n = 29) group, stratified by dizziness-related impairment severity.

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A specific variant of neurofeedback therapy (NFT), Live -Score Training (LZT), can be configured to not target specific EEG frequencies, networks, or regions of the brain, thereby permitting implicit and flexible modulation of EEG activity. In this exploratory analysis, the relationship between post-LZT changes in EEG activity and self-reported symptom reduction is evaluated in a sample of patients with persistent post-concussive symptoms (PPCS). Penalized regressions were used to identify EEG metrics associated with changes in physical, cognitive, and affective symptoms; the predictive capacity of EEG variables selected by the penalized regressions were subsequently validated using linear regression models.

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Introduction: The prevalence of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is commonly estimated based on indirect metrics such as emergency department visits and self-reporting tools. The study of postconcussive symptoms faces similar challenges because of their unspecific character and indistinct causality. In this article, we compare two nonclinical, epidemiological studies that addressed these two elements and were performed within a relatively narrow period in the state of Colorado.

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Objective: Persistent post-concussive symptoms (PPCS) often include attention deficits, particularly orienting and executive attention. Research in other clinical populations has demonstrated that neurofeedback therapy (NFT) is effective at improving orienting and executive attention, although its effects on attentional networks in patients with PPCS are unknown.

Method: In this single-group pilot study, we examined attention-related event-related potentials (ERPs) - N1 and P3 - and cognitive outcomes following Live Z-score training (LZT), a variant of NFT.

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Introduction: Neurofeedback therapy (NFT) has demonstrated effectiveness for reducing persistent symptoms following traumatic brain injury (TBI); however, its reliance on NFT experts for administration and high number of treatment sessions limits its use in military medicine. Here, we assess the feasibility of live Z-score training (LZT)-a variant of NFT that requires fewer treatment sessions and can be administered by nonexperts-for use in a military clinical setting.

Materials And Methods: A single group design feasibility study was conducted to assess acceptability, tolerance, treatment satisfaction, and change in symptoms after a 6-week LZT intervention in 38 Service Members (SMs) with persistent symptoms comorbid with or secondary to mild TBI.

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Introduction: Vestibular dysfunction is common in military populations as the result of traumatic brain injury, blast exposure, and/or repetitive acoustic insult. Vestibular rehabilitation (VR) has been proven to be an effective approach in the treatment of vestibular dysfunction. VR consists of a series of exercises prescribed on the basis of individual patient needs by a vestibular trained physical therapist (PT).

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