Article

Blasts or explosions are the most common mechanisms of injury in modern warfare.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a frequent consequence of exposure to such
attacks. Although the management of orthopedic, integumentary, neurocognitive,
and neurobehavioral sequelae in survivors of blasts has been described in the
literature, less attention has been paid to the physical therapist examination
and care of people with dizziness and blast-induced TBI (BITBI). Dizziness is a
common clinical finding in people with BITBI; however, many US military service
members who have been exposed to blasts and who are returning from Iraq and
Afghanistan also complain of vertigo, gaze instability, motion intolerance, and
other symptoms consistent with peripheral vestibular pathology. To date, few
studies have addressed such "vestibular" complaints in service members injured by
blasts. Given the demonstrated efficacy of treating the signs and symptoms
associated with vestibular pathology, vestibular rehabilitation may have
important implications for the successful care of service members who have been
injured by blasts and who are complaining of vertigo or other symptoms consistent
with vestibular pathology. In addition, there is a great need to build consensus
on the clinical best practices for the assessment and management of BITBI and
blast-related dizziness.
The purpose of this review is to summarize the findings
of clinicians and scientists conducting research on the effects of blasts with
the aims of defining the scope of the problem, describing and characterizing the
effects of blasts, reviewing relevant patients' characteristics and sensorimotor
deficits associated with BITBI, and suggesting clinical best practices for the
rehabilitation of BITBI and blast-related dizziness.

Langue : ANGLAIS