Mechanisms of Accumulating Damage from Repetitive Subconcussive Head Impact

Project Description Narrative:

It is estimated that as many as 3.8 million sports-related concussions occur annually in the United States, resulting in over 200,000 trips to the emergency department on an annual basis. While the majority of patients become symptom free within seven days, in some cases chronic symptoms can persist. Repeated concussions have been linked to life-long cognitive and emotional difficulties.

The mechanism of concussion has long been understood to include a single head impact that leads to injurious strains within the brain tissues. However, repetitive head impacts sustained during sports participation that do not result in concussion (subconcussive impacts) are becoming recognized as a concussive mechanism in contact sports. Better understanding of the mechanisms of concussion will lead to better protection for athletes

Through this project, investigators will study a second concussion mechanism, separate from the traditional single-impact mechanism that is common in sports-related concussion, by correlating behavioral changes, blood biomarkers, and brain cellular/structural changes to the severity of repetitive subconcussive head impact exposure (RSHIE).