Dizziness after traumatic brain injury: results from an interview study

Abstract

Background: Dizziness is a commonly reported sequel to traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Objective: To better define the nature of the symptomatology and the impact that dizziness has on the TBI survivor.

Setting: A community brain injury rehabilitation programme and a community access programme for TBI survivors.

Method: Focus groups with TBI survivors and individual interviews with TBI survivors and some of their carers.

Results: The data confirmed that dizziness is difficult for TBI survivors to define and describe and it consists of multiple symptoms. Dizziness also appears to be associated with significant functional difficulties. Additionally, many of the participants of this study reported falling. Carers reported a number of observable signs of dizziness and indicated that they believed they were able to tell when the person they cared for was dizzy.

Conclusion: The results provide information which will help in the development of more appropriate outcome measurement tools for dizziness after a TBI.