The effectiveness of high-tone therapy in the complex rehabilitation of servicemen with post-traumatic stress disorder complicated by traumatic brain injury

Babov, K.D., Zabolotna, I.B., Plakida, A.L. et al. The effectiveness of high-tone therapy in the complex rehabilitation of servicemen with post-traumatic stress disorder complicated by traumatic brain injury. Neurol Sci (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-022-06510-0

Introduction

As a result of local military conflicts that have become more frequent over the past decades, the number of military personnel subjected to combat stress has sharply increased. More than 50% of them suffer from combat posttraumatic stress disorder. The most common comorbidity in this category of patients is a traumatic brain injury. Due to the undesirability of the long-term use of pharmacological agents, for rehabilitation, preference should be given to physiotherapeutic procedures.

Objects and methods

We examined 50 patients with post-traumatic stress disorder in combination with a closed craniocerebral injury. Group 1–25 patients received standard complex treatment at the sanatoriumresort rehabilitation stage (diet therapy, climatotherapy, balneotherapy, exercise therapy, psychotherapy). Group 2–25 patients, in addition to the standard complex treatment, received a course of high-tone therapy.

Results

Complex rehabilitation of patients with the use of high-tone therapy contributes to a significant decrease in astheno-neurotic (p < 0.05) and asthenic depressive (p < 0.01) syndromes and has a psycho-relaxing effect on anxiety syndrome (p < 0.01). There was also a decrease in the severity of pyramidal symptoms and regression of the vestibulo-atactic syndrome (p < 0.05). The course application of hightone therapy was accompanied by a significant restoration of the elastotonic properties of the vascular wall and an improvement in cerebral perfusion (p < 0.05). Positive dynamics of electrophysiological indicators were noted: a decrease in the intensity of slow rhythms against the background of an increase in the frequency and intensity of the alpha rhythm in both hemispheres (p < 0.05), which indicates the harmonization of the bioelectrical activity of the brain.