Vestibular disorders in blast injuries: additional symptoms

Abstract

Previously, we showed that Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) participants had significant complaints of vestibular disturbances, objective and subjective vertigo, kinetosis. One hundred and ten patients were examined, including 65 participants of ATO with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), 44 non-ATO without mTBI. The questionnaire “Types of dizziness” was used according to the International Clinical Protocol for Vertigo Disorders (Dizziness). Complaints of optokinetic nystagmus (OKN) were found in 27 (43.08 %) ATO and 7 (15.91 %) non-ATO patients, F-test = = 0.04, T-test = 0.0026. Thus, complaints of OKN turned out to be a specific feature of patients with blast injury syndrome. Complaints of nausea were detected in 38 (58.46 %) ATO and 11 (25.00 %) non-ATO patients, F-test = 0.38, T-test = 0.00035, indicating that this complaint is present and quantitatively more pronounced in ATO patients, but it is not specific for patients with mTBI. Complaints of vomiting were found in 19 (29.23 %) ATO and 11 (13.64 %) non-ATO patients, F-test = 0.055, T-test = 0.046, showing that this complaint is not typical for patients with mTBI. Complaints of anxiety without a reason were detected in 35 (53.85 %) ATO and 15 (34.09 %) non-ATO patients, F-test = 0.75, T-test = 0.041. Thus, this complaint is present and quantitatively more significant in ATO patients. Complaints of blackout were found in 41 (63.08 %) ATO and 16 (36.36 %) non-ATO patients, F-test = 0.98, T-test = 0.006, demonstrating that this complaint is present and quantitatively more pronounced in ATO patients, but it is not specific for patients with mTBI. Complaints of depression and numbness did not differ reliably according to the statistical indicators used. There were certain correlations. OKN: with scotomas in migraine headaches, kinetoses, descendophobia, and nyctophobia. Nausea: with severity of dizziness, vomiting episodes, blackouts, migraine headaches, increased heart rate, kinetoses, nyctophobia, claustrophobia. Vomiting: with ascendophobia, migraine headaches, increased heart rate. Anxiety without a reason: with impaired movement coordination, depression, blackouts, hyperacusis, weather sensitivity, ascendophobia. Depression without a reason: with subjective vertigo, agoraphobia, blackouts, numbness, throbbing headaches, weather sensitivity, electromagnetic hypersensitivity, increased heart rate. Blackouts: with weight gain, objective vertigo, orthostatic and throbbing headache. Numbness: with dizziness and its severity, agoraphobia, ascendophobia, migraine headaches and increased heart rate. Correlations are discussed from the point of view of vestibular dysfunction.