Mild traumatic brain injury and the propensity for movement specific reinvestment

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) occurs from biomechanical forces on the brain, leading to pathophysiological changes that cause cognitive, perceptual, and/or motor impairments. Following mTBI, individuals are likely to be concerned about preventing pain or re-injury, therefore, we asked whether they had greater propensity to consciously monitor and control their movements. We also examined whether an association exists between the propensity to consciously monitor and control movements and mTBI clinical factors (time since most recent mTBI, number of mTBI, symptom severity). 157 participants with mTBI and 188 controls completed the Movement Specific Reinvestment Scale (MSRS) to measure the propensity for conscious monitoring and control of movements (i.e., movement specific reinvestment). Multivariate analysis of variance was used to explore scores on the MSRS as a function of mTBI/control and males/females with and without history of mTBI. Compared to controls, people with mTBI scored higher on both MSRS sub-scales (conscious motor processing, movement self-consciousness). Irrespective of mTBI history, females scored higher on the movement self-consciousness sub-scale. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine relationships between movement specific reinvestment and mTBI clinical factors. Time since most recent mTBI was negatively associated with conscious motor processing, suggesting that during early stages of recovery, people with mTBI are more likely to consciously control their movements. No association was evident between movement specific reinvestment and number of mTBI or symptom severity. Further understanding the relationship between conscious motor processes and mTBI may help tailor rehabilitation strategies to meet individual needs of those with mTBI.