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VOMS test shows promise for concussion evaluation
The Vestibular/Ocular Motor Screening assessment test has shown success in identifying distinct vestibular and ocular motor symptoms after a concussion sustained while participating in sports, according to researchers.
In a cross-sectional study, Anne Mucha, DPT, and colleagues analyzed the results of 64 patients approximately 5.5 days after a sport-related concussion and 78 controls who were administered the Vestibular/Ocular Motor Screening (VOMS) assessment. The assessment included the domains of smooth pursuit, horizontal and vertical saccades, near point of convergence distance, horizontal vestibular ocular reflex and visual motion sensitivity. All participants were also evaluated using the Post-Concussion Symptom Scale.
Sixty-one percent of patients reported symptom provocation after at least 1 VOMS item, according to the researchers.
Horizontal vestibular ocular reflex and visual motion sensitivity were shown to be the most predictive of being in the concussed group, according to the researchers. Additionally, the researchers found that a near point of convergence distance of 5 or greater and any VOMS item symptom score of 2 or greater resulted in an increased probability of correct identification of concussed patients (38% and 50%, respectively).
Receiver operating characteristic curves were supportive of a model that included horizontal vestibular ocular reflex, visual motion sensitivity, near point of convergence distance and age, resulting in a high predicted probability for identification of patients with concussions, according to the researchers.
Disclosure: Collins is a cofounder and 10% shareholder of ImPACT Applications.