Research: Objective and Aims
Objective
To improve, through education, research, and outreach initiatives, the standard of care for athletes who sustain a sport-related concussion
Aims
Aim 1: Understand the neurocognitive, physical and psychosocial effects of sport-related concussion in youth and adolescent populations
We are learning quite a bit about how concussion affects cognitive, sleep and physical functioning. However, what is less understood is how this injury influences emotional well-being and mood. Specifically, we are conducting studies that examine the prevalence and influence of anxiety and depression on concussion clinical presentation and recovery outcomes.
Aim 2: Identify factors that influence risk and recovery from sport-related concussion
Most concussions resolve over a period of 3 – 4 weeks. However, a small percentage of these individuals experience a longer (i.e., protracted) recovery and exhibit persisting post-concussion symptoms. Knowing which patients are more likely to take longer to recover would inform earlier treatment strategies. We have identified several factors that predict protracted recovery including symptom burden, on-field dizziness, and continuing to play with concussion. We are continuing this research to better understand how these factors interact with the clinical assessment for this injury and to identify new factors that predict these outcomes.
Aim 3: Discover best practices for the clinical assessment, management and treatment of concussion
The clinical care for concussion is evolving and improving, and we are proud to contribute to this growing body of literature. We have developed and validated new assessment tools (e.g., The Vestibular Ocular Motor Screening: VOMS) that capture the vestibular and ocular motor symptoms and impairments that often occur following concussion, and revised traditional symptom scales with details that better reflect concussion clinical profiles (e.g., The Clinical Profiles Screen: CP Screen) clinical profile for concussion. We are also using smartphones to measure how concussion “behaves” (i.e., environmental increases/decreases in symptoms and impairments) in the everyday lives of patients. Other on-going research is a randomized controlled trial on the effectiveness of concussion treatments and an investigation of a saliva biomarker for the detection of this injury.
