Exploring Balance as a Determinant of High-Level Mobility After Traumatic Brain Injury.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70672/n9b07c45Keywords:
traumatic brain injury, balance, postural control, high-level mobilityAbstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains a major cause of long-term disability. Individuals with moderate to severe TBI often experience lasting difficulties in balance and mobility. High-level mobility, which includes tasks such as running, stair climbing, and quick directional changes, is frequently impaired in this population and poses significant barriers to independence and community reintegration. Despite the known importance of balance in rehabilitation, its precise contribution to the high-level mobility critical for independence remains poorly understood. This study aimed to determine the relationship between balance performance and high-level mobility in individuals with moderate to severe TBI. A total of 86 participants were assessed using the High-Level Mobility Assessment Tool (HiMAT), the Sensory Organization Test (SOT), and the Limits of Stability (LOS) test. The analysis demonstrated moderate to strong positive correlations between high-level mobility and both SOT and LOS measures, with maximum excursion (MXE) (r = 0.603) showing the strongest association. These results advocate for incorporating dynamic balance challenges (e.g., perturbed walking, reactive stepping) into rehabilitation to maximise mobility recovery. By highlighting balance as a modifiable and measurable contributor to mobility, this study offers practical insights for designing more effective rehabilitation strategies that support recovery and independence after TBI.
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