Improved assessment and treatment of concussions in school-aged children is the subject of a major new research project backed by $10million in funding.
Concussion Assessment, Research and Education for Kids, or CARE4Kids, will enrol more than 1,300 children across the United States in a multi-centre academic medical centre study.
CARE4Kids researchers will use advanced brain imaging and blood tests to explore biological markers — including those related to changes in blood pressure, heart rate and pupil reactivity — that could predict which youngsters will develop persistent symptoms after a concussion.
For adolescents, the risk of delayed recovery is even higher, UCLA’s Dr Christopher Giza, co-lead of the CARE4Kids project and director of the BrainSPORT Program says.
The study, which focuses on children between the ages of 11 and 18, will unfold in two phases. The first part will evaluate children with concussions to identify a set of biomarkers predictive of persistent post-concussion symptoms.
The next will seek to confirm that these biomarkers accurately predict prolonged symptoms in a second group of children diagnosed with concussions.
To support the project, $10million has been assigned by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, part of the National Institutes of Health.
“We are excited to launch this innovative investigation into concussions, which remain a serious public health concern for our nation’s youth and their families,” says Dr Giza.
“Using objective tests to accurately predict recovery can lead to earlier, more effective interventions and serve as a foundation for innovative new treatments.”
The goal is to develop a practical algorithm for use in general clinical practice for doctors and other health professionals caring for these youth, Dr Giza adds.
Along with Dr Giza, the project will be led by Dr. Frederick Rivara at Seattle Children’s and the University of Washington and Gerard Gioia at Children’s National in Washington, D.C.
Dr Meeryo Choe, an assistant clinical professor of paediatric neurology at UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital, will oversee the portion of the study at UCLA.
“This multi-centre study will enhance our understanding of what causes some children to suffer prolonged concussion symptoms,” she says.
“By identifying markers for delayed recovery, our work will pave the way for new treatments to improve clinical outcomes.”
