A few recent studies, as published in PubMed Central and Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, have shown that balance can be helpful in assessing concussions, especially in athletes.
A natural question follows regarding whether athletic capabilities could affect balance performance.
Now, a new study in the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, “Examining Balance in College Athletes: Effects of Contact Sport and Concussion Status,” examines how static balance differs among college athletes depending on their sport type (contact vs non-contact) and concussion history.
Using a force plate, researchers from Johns Hopkins and partner institutions tested balance in patients with different levels of concussion symptom severity and sports.
Key Findings
- Sport type influences balance: Contact-sport athletes showed significantly different path velocity (PV) compared to non-contact athletes. Path velocity is how fast your body sways while trying to stay balanced.
- Symptom severity matters: Balance measures were significantly correlated with current concussion symptom severity.
- Concussion history alone doesn’t: Simply having a past concussion did not produce significant differences in PV (Path Velocity), ML (Medio-Lateral) Sway, and AP (Antero-Posterior) Sway.
Conclusion from authors: Static balance is shaped more by sport impact type than by concussion history. Clinicians should interpret balance data in context when making return-to-play decisions.
What This Means
The study highlights that context matters in concussion management. A football or rugby player’s baseline balance may naturally differ from that of a swimmer, regardless of concussion history. This nuance supports a multi-domain approach to assessment, one that goes beyond symptoms or balance alone.
How EyeBOX Can Help
- EyeBOX can provide consistent, objective insight even when athletes under-report or minimize symptoms. EyeBOX assesses brain function through eye-movement patterns, giving clinicians an additional data point that’s not influenced by sport type or baseline balance differences. Pairing EyeBOX results with balance and symptom checks helps medical teams make safer, evidence-based decisions.