Screening Brain MRI in High School Football: Does the Guardian Cap Reduce the Risk of Traumatic Brain Injury

Screening Brain MRI in High School Football: Does the Guardian Cap Reduce the Risk of Traumatic Brain Injury

Screening Brain MRI in High School Football: What is the Risk of Traumatic Brain Injury and Does the Guardian Cap Reduce the Incidence of Injury as Determined by Fluid-attenuated Inversion Recovery (FLAIR) and Susceptibility Weighted Imaging (SWI) Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Sequences

This study was terminated June 28 2016 for low enrollment and PI moving away. No results were obtained

Screening Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with Fluid-attenuated Inversion Recovery (FLAIR) and Susceptibility Weighted Imaging (SWI) sequences will be performed pre and post season on high school football players. One set of players will wear the Guardian Cap on their five star rated helmets and the other will wear five star rated helmets only. The investigators will compare outcomes of ImPACT scores and MRI findings between the two groups to see if there is a statistical difference in reduction of injury and to establish what the baseline level of MRI findings related to injury from high school football is as well as what the baseline level of injury is prior to the start of the season.

Screening Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) with Fluid-attenuated Inversion Recovery (FLAIR) and Susceptibility Weighted Imaging (SWI) sequences will be performed pre and post season on high school football players. One set of players will wear the Guardian Cap on their five star rated helmets and the other will wear five star rated helmets only. The investigators will compare outcomes of ImPACT concussion scores and MRI findings on FLAIR and SWI sequences between the two groups to see if there is a statistical difference in reduction of MRI findings on FLAIR and SWI sequences or adverse ImPACT concussion score outcomes and to establish what the baseline level of MRI findings on FLAIR and SWI sequences related to injury from high school football is as well as what the baseline level of MRI findings on FLAIR and SWI is prior to the start of the season.

Brain Concussion, Brain Injuries, Diffuse Axonal Injury, Football, Head Protective Devices, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Helmet, Third party add-on

The Guardian Cap is a third party add-on device attached to the facemask of a football helmet that covers the outside of the helmet with a soft material to reduce the initial impact severity, thus reducing the forces transmitted to the brain

MRI Brain SWI and FLAIR Lesions Pre and Post High School Football Season With and Without the Guardian Cap

Establish the expected range of ImPact concussion scores pre and post football season with and without the Guardian Cap

Establish the expected range of MRI Brain SWI and FLAIR lesions in the general high school population at the beginning of a high school football season

Establish the incidence of MRI Brain SWI and FLAIR lesions in postseason high school football players

Inclusion Criteria: High school football players willing and able to have a pre and post season Brain MRI with FLAIR and SWI sequences and wear the Guardian Cap on their helmet Exclusion Criteria: High school football players unwilling or unable to have an MRI

Plan to share data with MRI results of individual exams with the patient and plan to publish in peer reviewed journal

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Mittl RL, Grossman RI, Hiehle JF, Hurst RW, Kauder DR, Gennarelli TA, Alburger GW. Prevalence of MR evidence of diffuse axonal injury in patients with mild head injury and normal head CT findings. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 1994 Sep;15(8):1583-9.