OUTCOME MEASUREMENT OF MTBI IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Although mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is among the most common injuries in children, little systemic research has been done regarding the recovery process and long-term functional sequelae of children following mTBI, including the influence of genetic factors. Linking polymorphic alleles to neurocognitive outcome is one strategy to determine if certain genes contribute to recovery of after mTBI. However, allelic polymorphism studies require well-defined and validated outcome measures and sample sizes appropriate for the frequency of alleles of interest. This protocol describes the Phase 1, the piloting phase, of a 4-phase, 4-year-multi-center collaborative research study between Children's National Medical Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Sports Medicine Concussion Program, and Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center with two aims. The first aim is to develope a psychometrically-sound test battery for children aged 6-18 years that is easily administered, portable, and repeatable while sensitive in detecting and monitoring neurocognitive and behavioral outcomes of mTBI in children and adolescents. The second aim is to determine the allelic frequency of selected candidate genes that may be associated with neurocognitive outcome after mTBI. Together, these pilot data will provide the basis for a valid genetic association study for identifying genetic factors contributing to neurocognitive recovery after mTBI in children.