To document and characterize headache and dizziness provocation during mental imagery of real-life symptom-provoking movements in patients with persistent postconcussive symptoms (PPCS).
✦ The floor
Discussion
Signed responses from readers of the wire.
Too preliminary to change practice; finding is hypothesis-generating only — mental imagery as a symptom trigger in persistent post-concussion syndrome warrants controlled study before clinical protocols are revised.
If mental imagery reliably provokes vestibular and headache symptoms in post-concussion patients, it may have implications for graded exposure therapy design and outcome measurement in vestibular rehabilitation.
- 01Case series: headache and dizziness were provoked by mental imagery of symptom-triggering movements.
- 02Patients had persistent postconcussive symptoms (symptoms lasting beyond typical recovery time).
- 03Finding suggests a central sensitisation or anticipatory component to post-concussion vestibular symptoms.
- 04Case series design limits generalisability; no control group or standardised imagery protocol reported.
- 05Results are hypothesis-generating; larger controlled studies are needed.
Mental imagery of symptom-triggering movements provokes headache and dizziness in patients with persistent postconcussive symptoms.
studypartially supported- PMID
- 42533312
- DOI
- 10.1097/HTR.0000000000001201.
- Journal
- Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation
- Publication type
- case_report
- Evidence level
- 4
- Population
- Patients with persistent postconcussive symptoms experiencing headache and dizziness
- Intervention
- Mental imagery of symptom-triggering movements
Primary outcomes
Provocation of headache by mental imagery; Provocation of dizziness by mental imagery