Improvement in Symptom Severity, Cognitive Assessment, and Choice Reaction Time in a College Professor with Post-Concussive Syndrome

Matthew M. Antonucci1, 2, 3*Paul E. Link2, 3Derek A. Barton2, 3 and Frederick R. Carrick1, 4

1 Carrick Institute, Clinical Neuroscience, United States

2 Plasticity Brain Centers, Neurorehabilitation, United States

3 NeuroSynergy Associates, PA, Neurorehabilitation, United States

4 Harvard Medical School and Harvard-Macy MGH Institute of Health Professions, Medical Education, United States

Background: A 42-year-old, college professor, with a history of concussion following a motor vehicle accident, presented with symptoms of headache, neck pain, balance problems, fatigue, low energy and trouble driving. Graded Symptom Checklist (GSC) severity was 33/162. Trails A (TA) and Trails B (TB) had scores of 27.0 seconds and 32.9 seconds respectively. Choice Reaction Time (cRT) latency was 424 milliseconds. 

Methods: A five-day, multimodal program of receptor based neurological rehabilitation was administered three times per day, one hour per session. Each session consisted of electrical somatosensory stimulation, vestibular rehabilitation exercises, neuromuscular reeducation exercises, hand-eye coordination exercises, vision therapy exercises and off-vertical axis rotations.

Results: Following conclusion of five days of treatment there were improvements in GSC (-75%), decreased TA (-37%) and TB (-10%), and cRT latency (-15.8%).

Conclusion: Short duration, multimodal, intensive programs of receptor based neurological rehabilitation may be a viable method to improve neurological integrity and performance in individuals with Post-Concussive Syndrome. The authors suggest further investigation into short duration, multi-modal, intensive approaches to restoring neurological function in individuals suffering from mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI)

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