Symptom Exacerbation Following Mental Imagery in Patients With Persistent Post-Concussive Symptoms
Characterization of Headache and Dizziness Exacerbation Following Mental Imagery in Patients With Persistent Post-Concussive Symptoms
Reuth Rehabilitation Hospital
60 participants
Sep 7, 2025
INTERVENTIONAL
Conditions
Summary
Background: Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI) often results in persistent emotional, cognitive, and somatic symptoms-such as headaches and dizziness. These symptoms impose a significant burden, yet their underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Predictive processing theories suggest that persistent symptoms may result from learned perceptual errors, particularly in individuals with high negative affectivity. This framework may help explain ongoing persistent post-concussive symptoms (PPCS) in the absence of identifiable pathology, which have been linked to various psychological factors. Mental imagery (MI) is thought to engage similar predictive processes. There is evidence that MI of symptom-triggering movements may exacerbate symptoms in individuals with chronic somatic conditions. However, this phenomenon has not been studied in PPCS patients. Investigating symptom provocation through MI may yield novel insights into the neuropsychological mechanisms sustaining PPCS and potentially contribute to the development of therapeutic tools for this population. Objectives: 1. Documenting the exacerbation of headache and dizziness following provocative mental imagery (imagery of movements or scenarios that elicit these symptoms in real life) in patients with PPCS. 2. Comparing changes in headache and dizziness after provocative MI versus neutral MI (imagery of movements or scenarios that do not elicit these symptoms in real life). 3. Comparing patients who experience symptom exacerbation following mental imagery to those who do not. 4. Describing associations between symptom exacerbation and negative affectivity, anxiety, depression, catastrophizing, and lower daily functioning. Methods: A cross-sectional study will be conducted on adult patients experiencing PPCS following mTBI. Participants will be recruited through convenience sampling from a computerized hospital database of Reuth Rehabilitation Hospital, based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. After signing an informed consent form, participants will be invited to attend 2 to 3 sessions, each lasting 1 to 2 hours. During these sessions, a licensed physiotherapist will conduct a comprehensive clinical assessment, including: Completion of self-report questionnaires; A vestibular examination; Anamnestic interview and clinical assessment of individual movement- and scenario-related triggers for dizziness and headaches; Symptom provocation testing using mental imagery of the identified triggers.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria6
- Current patients of Reut Rehabilitation Hospital or individuals who were discharged from the hospital within the past 12 months.
- Diagnosis of mild Traumatic Brain Injury, concussion, blast injury, or cervical whiplash injury.
- More than 3 months since the event.
- Presence of headaches and/or dizziness that began after the injury and have persisted continuously or intermittently.
- Exclusion of other potential causes of headaches, such as non-healed fractures, chronic inflammation/infection, increased intracranial pressure, or meningeal injury.
- Headache intensity of at least 3/10 on the VAS scale.
Exclusion Criteria8
- Significant cognitive impairment preventing informed consent (Mini-Mental State Examination score <20 or Montreal Cognitive Assessment score <20, as per IRB requirements).
- Diagnosed central neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, stroke, or brain tumor.
- Presence of known pyramidal or extrapyramidal neurological signs.
- Significant language impairment interfering with communication.
- Psychiatric disorders significantly affecting communication.
- Use of vestibular-suppressant medication (e.g., Cinnarizine) with an inability or unwillingness to discontinue treatment 24 hours prior to testing.
- Withdrawal Criteria:
- \. Oculomotor dysfunction affecting multiple oculomotor functions.
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Interventions
• The mental imagery task will be guided by the examiner through continuous verbal instruction (the examiner will provide ongoing instructions throughout the entire task, not just at the beginning). During the instruction, the examiner will direct the participant's attention to visual, auditory, and proprioceptive aspects of the imagined movement or scenario. Example: "Close your eyes, and without moving your head or body at all, try to imagine that you are moving your head from side to side quickly and easily, while noticing the sensation of motion, seeing the rotation through your eyes, and feeling the acceleration of your head as it moves from side to side..."
Locations(1)
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NCT07166536