VOMS Test for assessing concussion

VOMS helps healthcare providers assess specific concussion symptoms and develop rehabilitation recommendations for individual patients.

What is the VOMS test?

VOMS was developed by a team of vestibular and balance experts at the UPMC Centers for Rehabilitation Services. It has become a key piece of post-concussion evaluation that provides a basic understanding of a patient’s oculomotor and vestibular functioning.

How to perform the VOMS test

Once you complete ImPACT Quick Test you can continue your concussion evaluation by performing the VOMS test. Begin by recording the individual’s reporting for common symptoms including dizziness, headache, nausea, and fogginess. Patients will provide a number from 0 to 10 for each symptom that indicates the severity of their symptoms.

Next, perform the following five tests that measure vestibular and ocular motor impairment:

• Smooth Pursuits — The ability of the eyes to slowly follow an object along a pathway with the head remaining in place.
• Saccades — The ability of the eyes to move quickly from one object to another while staying in focus.
• Convergence — The ability to view a near target without double vision.
• Vestibular-Ocular Reflex (VOR) — The ability to maintain eyes and fixation on an object while the head is moving.
• Vision Motion Sensitivity (VMS) — The ability of the eyes to stop movement when the vestibular system is working.Equipment/ materials for VOMS include a target with 14 point font print and a metronome. For more information review our complete VOMS test instructions.

Reassessing symptoms between tests

It's important to reassess the patient for symptoms after each test. When the test is complete, wait 10 seconds before going down the list of symptoms. If a patient appears highly symptomatic, have them rest until their symptoms return closer to baseline. You can decide whether you're going to continue with more assessments or wait to do future testing.

VOMS performance observations

When observing a patient’s oculomotor and vestibular functioning there are several behaviors worth noting. Watch out for any eye movement that is dysfunctional or faulty movement patterns that require correction at the end. By identifying vestibular and oculomotor issues early on, you can formulate initial treatment plans that will help get patients back to normal sooner.

VOMS scoring sheet

With VOMS being a component of ImPACT Quick Test, you will have access to the clinical report. This includes sections for you to review such as general patient information and their concussion assessment data. Under the VOMS scores section, you can add scores for the baseline symptoms, smooth pursuits, saccades, convergence, VOR, and VMS tests.

To see a complete walkthrough of the VOMS test watch our video and print a copy of the scoring sheet to follow along.