Background

In children, brain injury is complex and common, and is a leading source of disability and death. Sports-related concussions in children and adolescents account for 30-60% of all pediatric concussions and affect up to 1.9 million children annually. 

Although mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is an important public health issue for both the general pediatric population and youth athletes, it is difficult to obtain objective diagnoses of mTBI or quantify the implications of cumulative sub-concussive (low-level) insults. 

Establishing a link between the clinical diagnoses and objective diagnostic tools that are sensitive over a spectrum of circumstances is crucial in developing strategies to reduce harm. 

Project Description

Building on the work of previous teams, this project team will assess youth athletes with an oculomotor (i.e., eye-tracking) assessment routine and compare these results to in-season documentation of head impact exposure using data from a team-developed earpiece (DASHR) worn by athletes during practices and games. Athletes from ages five to 18 are included in the study.

In addition to testing the use of oculomotor assessment as a diagnostic tool, team members will examine how this objective assessment may increase our understanding of the implications of multiple sub-concussive head impacts over time — beyond a single season into a career of play. The team’s work will contribute to a longitudinal study through which adolescent athletes have been continuously assessed over the course of several years.

In 2024-2025, team members will integrate a new cohort of male and female track and field or cross-country athletes. Inclusion of this cohort, comprising athletes who experience little to no head impacts in their sport, provides a control for comparison to the football cohort, as well as an opportunity to examine gender differences. 

Anticipated Outputs

Peer-reviewed manuscripts; abstracts; presentations and/or posters at a local conference

Student Opportunities

Ideally, this team will include 2-3 graduate students and 6-10 undergraduate students interested in biology, chemistry, neuroscience, computer science and/or engineering, but students from all disciplines are welcome to apply.

Applicants should be enthusiastic about the opportunity to engage with community collaborators that range in age from five to 18 years and their adult parents/guardians, coaches and administrative staff. Applicants should also be comfortable working in a team as well as independently.

As part of this project, students will engage in the Institutional Review Board (IRB) process with research staff and faculty; participate in study design development for meetings with community collaborators; collect and analyze data from the field; and contribute to the development and writing of academic manuscripts. Students may also have the opportunity to participate in local conferences.

This project has a summer component that is optional but strongly encouraged for new team members. It will take place in July and August 2024; exact dates are to be determined. Students participating in the summer will play a key role in building relationships with community partners and collecting data as the football season begins.

Timing

Summer 2024 – Spring 2025

• Summer 2024 (optional): Onboard new team members; continue analysis of data from past years and revisit challenges; fit DASHR devices on student-athletes and begin data collection for 2024 football season
• Fall 2024: Complete in-season and post-season oculomotor assessment of youth football players; analyze assessments, associated surveys and exposure data; engage in student-driven independent study projects
• Spring 2025: Conduct follow-up oculomotor assessment; analyze data; engage with new cohort (high school cross-country or field participants); continue independent study projects

Crediting

Academic credit available for fall and spring semesters; summer funding available

See earlier related team, Eye Tracking: Objective Assessment for Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in Youth Athletes (2023-2024).

Image: KEM_1098, by Katie Morrow, licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0