Neural Markers of Balance in Adults With Brain Injury

In the United States in 2014, nearly 2.9 million individuals sustained traumatic brain injuries that resulted in emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and death. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is caused by trauma, or an external force that creates rapid acceleration and deceleration of the brain within the skull creating lasting neurophysiological dysfunction. Although there are many effective treatment strategies for the weeks and months post-injury (e.g. intensive, multi-disciplinary in-patient rehabilitation), millions of individuals are living with residual disability from brain injury following discharge to home. This residual disability can include significant social, cognitive, emotional, and physical impairment. To date, there are limited strategies for treating the residual deficits of chronic brain injury. One such physical deficit is balance impairment, which is associated with increased fall risk, reduced community integration, and decreased quality of life. The use of intensive, holistic rehabilitation may be effective for improving balance and other impairments in individuals with chronic brain injury. Yoga, a holistic treatment option, is thought to be more therapeutic than traditional exercise because of the integration of the mind, body, and spirit. Further, yoga can be modified to accommodate individual abilities and needs. And, unlike formal rehabilitation, yoga does not need to be approved by insurance or prescribed by a physician and adapted yoga is available in the community. Thus, yoga is readily available, so long as yoga instructors are trained to appropriately modify activities. Recently, the research team found that group yoga improved balance performance in seven adults with chronic brain injury. This study is designed to test the feasibility of conducting another group yoga intervention and acquiring neuroimaging data before and after the intervention.