Y-Balance Test for Predicting Concussion Risk

Not currently recruiting at 1 trial location

Age: < 65

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Arkansas Colleges of Health Education

Disqualifiers: History of seizure

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to determine if a balance test can predict concussion risk in high school athletes. The researchers will compare two versions of the Y Balance Test: a standard version and another with visual challenges using special glasses, known as Y Balance Plus Visual Perturbations. Students who play sports, either through school or clubs, are ideal candidates, provided they have no history of seizures. Participants will take the balance test multiple times over four years to track their results. The goal is to assess whether these balance tests can help prevent concussions and other injuries. As an unphased trial, this study offers participants the chance to contribute to groundbreaking research that could enhance athlete safety.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What prior data suggests that the Y Balance Test is safe for high school athletes?

Research shows that the Y Balance Test is commonly used to assess balance and the risk of injury. Studies have found it to be a reliable and easy method for evaluating balance and movement in athletes. The test is non-invasive, involving no cutting or entering the body, and has no known negative side effects. It simply measures balance and reach.

For the Y Balance Test with Visual Challenges, research also supports its safety. This version uses special glasses that briefly block vision to enhance training. Studies suggest that this method can improve visual and mental performance without causing harm. It safely examines how changes in vision affect balance.

Overall, both the Y Balance Test and the version with visual challenges are considered safe for participants, with no strong evidence of negative effects. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about this trial because it aims to evaluate how the Y-Balance Test, combined with visual perturbations like stroboscopic glasses, might predict concussion risk. Unlike traditional methods that primarily focus on post-injury assessments, this approach is proactive, potentially identifying individuals at higher risk before an injury occurs. The integration of visual disruptions during the balance test could offer a more comprehensive assessment of an athlete's stability and resilience, tapping into the complex interaction between vision and balance. This could lead to better preventative strategies, ultimately reducing the incidence of concussions in sports and other activities.

What evidence suggests that the Y Balance Test and Y Balance Plus Visual Perturbations are effective for predicting concussion risk?

Research shows that the Y Balance Test for the lower body (YBT-LQ) effectively assesses an athlete's risk of injury, particularly in the lower body. Studies have found that it can identify balance problems in both healthy athletes and those with concussions, suggesting it might help predict concussion risk. In this trial, participants will perform either the standard Y Balance Test or the Y Balance Test with stroboscopic glasses. Early results suggest that stroboscopic visual training (SVT), which uses special glasses to create visual challenges, may improve eye-hand coordination and thinking skills. This combination could enhance the test's ability to identify athletes at risk for concussions. Additionally, research indicates that athletes with a history of concussions often perform better on the YBT-LQ, further supporting its potential for predicting risks. ^{1 2 6 7 8}

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for high school athletes, grades 9-12, who play sports either through their school or a club. Middle school students from grades 6-8 may also join if requested by the school or organization. Athletes with a history of seizures cannot participate.

Inclusion Criteria

Participates in sport either school sanctioned or club

Exclusion Criteria

I have had seizures in the past.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Testing

Participants perform the Y Balance Test for the lower quarter (YBT-LQ) to assess risk for injury and potential concussion prediction

Ongoing over 4 years

Testing at least two times per year, preferably three times per year

Follow-up

Follow-up with athletic trainers and school personnel to monitor for concussions and lower extremity injuries

1 year

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Y Balance Plus Visual Perturbations
• Y Balance Test

Trial Overview

The study is testing whether the Y Balance Test (YBT-LQ), which measures dynamic balance, can predict concussions in athletes. It includes standard YBT-LQ and an additional version with visual disturbances to see if they affect concussion prediction or lower extremity injury risk.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Standard Y Balance Active Control 1 Intervention

Subjects will perform Y-balance lower quarter

Group II: Y Balance Plus Stroboscopic Glasses Active Control 1 Intervention

Subjects will perform Y-balance lower quarter with and without stroboscopic lenses

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Arkansas Colleges of Health Education

Lead Sponsor

Trials

7

Recruited

1,200+

Published Research Related to This Trial

In a study of 158 concussed youths, the Vestibular/Ocular Motor Screening (VOMS) items were found to significantly contribute to the severity of concussion symptoms, explaining 9.6% of the variance in symptom severity after accounting for other factors.

Specifically, the VOMS items related to vertical saccades and vertical vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) were particularly influential, indicating their potential importance in assessing concussion severity in young patients.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Vestibular/Ocular Motor Screening is Independently Associated With Concussion Symptom Severity in Youths. Babicz, MA., Woods, SP., Cirino, P., et al.[2022]

In a study of 190 healthy youth athletes aged 11 to 18, 29.5% showed at least one abnormality in the visio-vestibular examination (VVE), but multiple abnormalities were rare, suggesting that finding several issues may indicate a concussion.

The VVE demonstrated consistent results across various patient characteristics and did not show significant associations with other concussion assessment tools like the SCAT-5, King-Devick, or Postconcussion Symptom Inventory, highlighting its unique role in evaluating potential concussions.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Visio-Vestibular Deficits in Healthy Child and Adolescent Athletes. Corwin, DJ., McDonald, CC., Arbogast, KB., et al.[2023]

Adolescents with concussion demonstrated significantly slower walking speeds and fewer steps per minute compared to uninjured controls, indicating impaired postural control shortly after injury.

Smartphone-based gait measures and tandem gait tests effectively distinguished between concussed adolescents and controls, with an excellent ability to differentiate groups (AUC = 0.91), highlighting the importance of using multiple assessment methods for recognizing postural control issues in concussed individuals.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A multifaceted and clinically viable paradigm to quantify postural control impairments among adolescents with concussion. Howell, DR., Lugade, V., Potter, MN., et al.[2020]

The study involved 224 adolescent athletes (180 healthy and 44 with concussions) and found that dynamic balance testing using the Y Balance Test (YBT) showed significant differences in performance between healthy males and females, indicating its effectiveness in assessing balance.

Combining dynamic (YBT) and static (BESS) balance tests may provide a more comprehensive evaluation of balance skills in athletes recovering from concussions, as some concussed athletes performed well on the BESS but not on the YBT.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Static and Dynamic Balance Assessment in Healthy and Concussed Adolescent Athletes. Lowe, L., Castillo, F., Gokun, Y., et al.[2023]

In a study of 106 individuals with concussion, a significant number reported balance disturbances (54%) and dizziness (63%), but objective balance tests showed that only 66% and 58% had measurable balance impairments, respectively.

There was a poor correlation between self-reported balance symptoms and actual balance performance, suggesting that subjective reports may not accurately reflect objective balance deficits, which is important for assessing recovery in concussion patients.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Self-reported Balance Disturbance and Performance-Based Balance Impairment After Concussion in the General Population. Inness, EL., Sweeny, M., Habib Perez, O., et al.[2020]

A new assessment model for vestibular and oculomotor impairments after a concussion showed high accuracy (98.6%) in distinguishing concussed athletes from healthy controls using specific tests, including the Sensory Organization Test and near point convergence.

A simplified version of the model, using only the optokinetic stimulation and gaze stabilization tests along with near point convergence, still achieved a high accuracy of 94.4%, suggesting it could be a practical tool for concussion management without needing expensive equipment.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Vestibular and Oculomotor Assessments May Increase Accuracy of Subacute Concussion Assessment. McDevitt, J., Appiah-Kubi, KO., Tierney, R., et al.[2021]

In a study of 18 young concussion patients, improvements in self-reported symptoms and postural stability were observed over four clinical visits, indicating a positive recovery trend (P<0.0001-0.001).

Dual-task interference balance testing revealed significant differences in postural stability between concussion patients and healthy adolescents, particularly during cognitive tasks, suggesting this method may be crucial for assessing recovery in young patients.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Tracking postural stability of young concussion patients using dual-task interference. Dorman, JC., Valentine, VD., Munce, TA., et al.[2016]

In a study of 56 adolescents with recent concussions, postural sway was significantly greater when participants performed balance tasks with their eyes closed compared to when their eyes were open, indicating that visual input plays a crucial role in balance.

The study found that greater postural sway was associated with concussion symptoms like dizziness and confusion, suggesting that measuring sway could help assess balance impairments and the severity of symptoms in clinical settings.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Using Accelerometers to Record Postural Sway in Adolescents With Concussion: A Cross-Sectional Study. Alkathiry, AA., Sparto, PJ., Freund, B., et al.[2020]

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The purpose of this study was to examine whether a 12-week stroboscopic visual training (SVT) combined with balance training would lead to ...

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The Effect of Stroboscopic Vision on the Y-Balance Test

To objectively measure dynamic balance, the Y-Balance Test Lower Quarter (YBT-L Q) is useful in identifying deficits and asymmetries in dynamic balance that may ...