Otoneurological Evaluation and Rehabilitative Considerations after Head Trauma

Abstract

Head injuries due to traffic accidents, falls, gunshots and blows in sports fights, among others, with or without a skull or petrosal fractures, can lead to a Traumatic Labyrinth Concussion (TLC), defined as a disorder of the peripheral vestibular system comprising vestibular, auditory and neurovegetative signs and symptoms, which can persist for weeks or months after a traumatic injury. It is often accompanied by central nervous system (CNS) concussion, manifested by objective symptoms such as tachycardia, headache, thermoregulatory instability and mydriasis; and subjective complaints such as emotional disorders, memory loss, visual disorders, insomnia, hyper-emotivity and behaviour disorders. Otoneurologic examination is relevant in the identification and topographic diagnosis of vestibular disorders This chapter will verse on symptoms, audiometric and vestibular findings in TLC, as well as rehabilitation perspectives.