Psychologically Informed Cervicovestibular Rehabilitation (PIC Rehab) for Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: A Feasibility Trial

Mild traumatic brain injuries ("mTBIs") affect over 480,000 Canadians each year. While many individuals recover in the initial 4 weeks following mTBI, in up to 30% of individuals symptoms and functional impairments often persist leading to significant disability, decreased quality of life and participation in education, physical and occupational related activities. An assessment that evaluates multiple systems is recommended for individuals with mTBI, often involving multiple health care professionals to assess different areas of function (e.g. oculomotor, vestibular, balance, mood, cognition, etc). Current evidence supports the use of cervicovestibular rehabilitation (CVPT) (which includes physiotherapy techniques aimed at treating the neck, balance, visual and other sensory systems) and symptom-tolerated exercise. Evidence suggests that collaborative care, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) may be of benefit. However, the added value of CVPT and CBT in combination co-designed by patients and community partners has not yet been evaluated in mTBI. In other pain and dizziness conditions, the addition of CBT to physical/vestibular rehabilitation yielded improved outcomes. Here we take a transdisciplinary team-based approach to evaluate an integrated combination of CVPT and CBT.

This study will recruit a total of 34 people ages 18-70 years old who have ongoing symptoms following an mTBI for more than two weeks. The first 17 patients will receive CVPT along and the second 17 patients will receive psychologically informed CVPT ("PIC" Rehab). This study will help determine if combined therapy has an additive effect on helping patients recovery from mTBI.