The Co-Occurrence of Vestibular/Ocular Motor Provocation and State Anxiety in Adolescents and Young Adults with Concussion

Vestibular/ocular motor provocation and state anxiety are both independently linked to poor recovery outcomes following concussion. However, the relationship between these two clinical presentations and their co-occurring effects on concussion recovery outcomes is understudied. The purpose was to examine the co-occurring effects of vestibular/ocular motor provocation and state anxiety following concussion. There were 532 participants (15–25 years) with concussions who completed the vestibular/ocular motor screening (VOMS), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Post-Concussion Symptom Scale within 30 days of injury. Participants were classified into provocation (PROV) and no provocation (NO PROV) groups based on exceeding/not exceeding VOMS cutoffs. An analysis of covariance was used to examine between-group comparisons on state anxiety scores; and logistic regressions, with adjusted odds ratios (Adj OR), were used to evaluate predictors of clinical levels of state anxiety and protracted recovery. A total of 418 participants (78.6%; age = 17.2 ± 2.6; 65% female) exceeding VOMS cutoffs were in the PROV, and 114 (21.4%; age = 16.6 ± 2.2; 53% female) participants were in the NO PROV group. The PROV group (mean M = 39.50, standard deviation SD = 12.05) exhibited significantly higher state anxiety scores than the NO PROV group ( M = 32.45, SD = 10.43) ( F 1, 532 = 15.36, p < 0.001, η 2 = 0.03). Vestibular/ocular motor provocation (Adj OR = 3.35, p < 0.001, 95% confidence interval CI: 1.42–3.88) was the most robust predictor of clinical state anxiety following concussion (χ 2 4, 532 = 86.78, p < 0.001). Participants exhibiting vestibular/ocular motor provocation with clinical levels of state anxiety were at 2.47 times ( p < 0.001, 95% CI: 1.53–3.99) greater odds of experiencing a protracted concussion recovery than participants with vestibular/ocular motor provocation without clinical state anxiety. Vestibular/ocular motor provocation is associated with increased state anxiety following concussion, and the addition of clinical state anxiety to vestibular/ocular motor provocation increases the odds for protracted recovery. Clinicians should assess vestibular/ocular motor function and anxiety following concussion.