1576: HEART RATE VARIABILITY IN CHILDREN WITH TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY: A PROSPECTIVE OBSERVATIONAL STUDY

ObjectiveUse biofeedback measures to manage a patient's long term recovery from concussion.BackgroundSports-related mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) is estimated to affect 3.8 million people in the United States. Identifying quantitative measures of recovery has become a point of interest in treatment. Heart Rate Variability (HRV), the average fluctuation in the interval between heartbeats, shows promise as a noninvasive biomarker.Design/MethodsCase report following cardiovascular recovery of a 15 year old cross country runner 4 months post-injury. Average heart rate and maximum heart rate per training session were collected from the patient's smart device.ResultsA 15-year-old Caucasian male cross-country runner hit the back of his head during a soccer game suffering an MTBI. The patient rested from the activity for 1 week then returned to training. Two months after the injury the patient complained of persistent shortness of breath, fatigue, and increased heart rate while running. According to the patient, his average BPM while running prior to the injury was in the 160s. The patient's smart device post-concussion reports a spike into the 180s. 3 months post-concussion the patient was instructed to keep his heart rate below 170 during training. In the following month, the patient's condition improved gradually with a return to baseline activity.ConclusionsHRV is a promising point of investigation for the management of post-concussive symptoms. Further research is necessary to elucidate the long term effects of concussion on heart rate variability.

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The Use of Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback and Neurofeedback for Traumatic Brain Injury

Biofeedback ◽

10.5298/1081-5937-43.1.03 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 43 (1) ◽

pp. 1-3

Author(s):

Donald Moss ◽

Leah Lagos

Keyword(s):

Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Heart Rate ◽

Heart Rate Variability ◽

Brain Injury ◽

Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback

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Heart Rate Variability and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): Clinical Applications

Biofeedback ◽

10.5298/1081-5937-43.1.02 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 43 (1) ◽

pp. 27-30 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Andrea Reid-Chung ◽

Michael Thompson ◽

Lynda Thompson

Keyword(s):

Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Heart Rate ◽

Heart Rate Variability ◽

Brain Injury ◽

Brain Injuries ◽

Clinical Applications ◽

Biofeedback Training ◽

Initial Assessment ◽

Case Examples ◽

Biofeedback Treatment

This paper discusses the clinical applications of heart rate variability (HRV) data in the treatment of clients who have experienced traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). In the authors' clinical practice, HRV data is collected at the initial assessment, at progress assessments, and again after the completion of a course of neurofeedback combined with HRV biofeedback treatment. This paper describes HRV seen in healthy individuals compared to HRV in individuals known to have experienced a TBI. Three clinical case examples are discussed that explore the changes in heart rate variability following traumatic brain injury as well as improvements noted during, and following, a course of neurofeedback combined with HRV biofeedback training. The cases illustrated in this paper demonstrate the impressive changes in heart rate variability that can occur following a traumatic brain injury and also highlight how neurofeedback combined with biofeedback training can be used to improve heart rate variability and ameliorate related cognitive symptoms.

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