Active clinical trials for "Brain Concussion"

A Randomized Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, Multi-center Trial to determine the efficacy of NeuroAiD II™ (MLC901) in improvement of cognitive functioning of adult patients with long-term cognitive impairment following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and to assess safety of NeuroAiD™ (MLC901) in these patients.

Sleep disturbances have been shown to contribute to poorer recovery from a concussion. Furthermore, sleep disturbances have been associated with more frequent and severe post-concussion symptoms including headache, vertigo, anxiety, depression, and decreased short term memory reducing quality of life and productivity at work or school. Additionally, recent research indicates that individuals with a concussion who have poor sleep quality have increased levels of Neurofilament light (NfL) and tau biomarkers indicating that there may still be axonal damage after weeks or months after the initial concussion injury. Post-concussion symptoms have been associated with higher levels of these biomarkers and there has been a report of higher levels of NfL and tau years following a concussion event. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is an effective treatment for insomnia yet it remains unclear if this treatment method is effective in improving sleep outcomes, reducing concomitant post-concussion symptoms, and biomarkers of neural injury/risk in individuals post- concussion. The central hypothesis for this project is treating sleep disturbances will yield a clinically relevant reduction in concomitant post-concussion symptoms. The objective for the proposed study is to determine if CBT-I will reduce insomnia symptoms and improve concomitant post-concussion symptoms in individuals after concussion and if symptom improvements are maintained at 6-weeks and 12-weeks after CBT-I intervention.

The purpose of this study is to see whether providing education and counseling after a mild traumatic brain injury will help in preventing symptoms from becoming chronic over the first six months after injury.

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is among the most common injuries sustained by Veterans of Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom. It is also highly co-morbid with mental health conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. While mTBI alone is not typically thought to cause lasting deficits in personal functioning or cognitive abilities, Veterans with a history of mTBI nonetheless report chronic psychological distress, as well as subjective difficulties with attention, concentration, poor frustration tolerance, and decision-making. Although current clinical practice guidelines for mTBI emphasize primary care-based symptom management, there are presently no evidence-based interventions to treat mental health symptoms in this setting. This research proposal therefore seeks to adapt and pilot test a brief, primary care-based intervention (E-PST) to reduce psychological distress in Veterans with mTBI by augmenting problem-solving skills, and helping them to develop specific cognitive and behavioral skills to improve upon their self-reported cognitive inefficiencies. The investigators hypothesize that Veterans who complete E-PST will report improvements in psychological distress compared to participants in the control condition.

The objective of this study is to investigate the treatment effect of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in patients with a history of both persistent post-traumatic headache and post-concussion symptoms. In this double-blind, sham-controlled, concealed allocation, randomized clinical trial, 20 patients aged 18-65 yrs will be recruited from the Calgary Brain Injury Program (CBIP) and the Calgary Headache Assessment and Management Program (CHAMP) / Calgary Chronic Pain Centre, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Patients will engage in a two-week rTMS treatment protocol (10 treatments) and will be followed for 6 months after therapy.

A substantial number of children and adolescents sustain a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) each year. Although research supports that the vast majority of youth will recover quickly and return to normal functioning, some adolescents continue to report problems long after the injury. Disturbed sleep, notably trouble with sleep onset and sleep maintenance, is a frequently reported problem in those with slow recovery from a mTBI. Poor sleep is also associated with cognitive complaints, mood disturbance, and lower quality of life. Despite the identification of sleep disturbance as a problem associated with slow recovery, there are very few treatment options. Cognitive-behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) has shown promise in children and adolescents as an effective treatment for sleep disturbance, although it has yet to be applied to the adolescent mTBI population who also present with sleep problems. The objective of this study is to examine the treatment of sleep disturbance using cognitive-behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) in those adolescents who have a protracted recovery from their mTBI. This represents a novel treatment option for this patient population and is anticipated to improve outcomes and quality of life.

SPECIFIC AIMS While post-concussive symptoms following sports-related concussion are typically transient and resolve spontaneously within two weeks of concussive injury, 14% or more of youth who sustain concussion experience significant morbidity that can persist well beyond the normal disease course.Furthermore, post-concussive symptoms commonly co-occur with affective symptoms including depression and anxiety which when present can prolong recovery from primary post-concussive symptoms. Together, persistent physical and psychological symptoms confer protracted functional impairment and create a significant burden for affected youth, their family, and school. Currently, there are no evidence-based guidelines to inform treatment of persistent post-concussive symptoms in youth and adolescents. In response to the dearth of evidence-based treatment approaches for youth with persistent post-concussive symptoms, the investigators developed a novel collaborative care treatment model that simultaneously targets post-concussive symptoms and co-occurring depression and anxiety. Athletes and their family members receive patient navigator care management services that bridge post-injury care across acute care, specialist and primary care health service delivery sectors, in addition to cognitive behavioral psychotherapy. Patients who remain symptomatic after initial treatment efforts receive stepped-up care that may include psychopharmacologic consultation. The Investigators have demonstrated feasibility of the intervention model through a pilot randomized-control trial of 49 adolescents with persistent post-concussive symptoms recruited from a regional children's hospital. Participants assigned to the intervention condition demonstrated significant and clinically-meaningful reductions in post-concussive and depressive symptoms as well as health-related quality of life as compared to adolescents in the usual care arm of the trial.

Approximately 420 professional and amateur athletes will participate in rehabilitation during recovery after sports-related concussion. Participants will be cluster randomized, by study site, to a specific study arm. Participants will complete post-injury assessments and the intervention of their randomized group aimed at understanding the effects of a multidimensional rehabilitation protocol versus enhanced graded exertion on clinical recovery, return to play, and patient outcomes after sport related concussion

Introduction: Current guidelines for treating patients with mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) recommend a period of cognitive rest and gradual return to usual activities with avoidance of any activity that exacerbates symptoms. However, recent studies have reported prolonged rest beyond 48 hours might hinder MTBI recovery, and there is limited evidence to suggest following guidelines has a positive impact on prognosis. Given the paucity of effective management strategies to prevent post-concussion syndrome (PCS) and emerging evidence of the benefits of exercise in MTBI patients, there is an urgent need for more research on the effectiveness of an early exercise intervention in the acute MTBI patient population as prevention of PCS. Research Question: Among adult (18-64 years) patients presenting to the ED with a discharge diagnosis of acute MTBI (defined by the Zurich consensus statement), does prescribing light exercise (ie: 30 min daily walking) reduce the proportion of patients with PCS at 30 days, compared to standard discharge instructions? Methods: This will be a randomized controlled trial of adult (18-64 years) patients discharged from an academic ED diagnosed with MTBI occurring within 48 hours of the index ED visit. The intervention group will receive discharge instructions prescribing 30 minutes of light exercise (ie: walking) and the control group will be instructed to gradually return to activities. Discharge instructions will be read by the attending physician or ED nurse. Patients will be provided a printed copy of the discharge instructions. Depending on their preferences, patients will be contacted by email or by telephone to complete the Rivermead Post-Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire (RPQ), a validated, 16 item questionnaire. The primary outcome of this study will be the proportion of patients with PCS at 30 days, defined as an increase from baseline of ≥ 3 symptoms on the validated RPQ at 1 month. Secondary outcomes will include change in RPQ from baseline to 72 hours, 7 days, 14 days, 30 days post initial ED visit, number of missed days of school or work and repeat visits to a healthcare provider. To assess compliance with ED discharge instructions, patients will be asked to complete a daily activity journal and will be given fitness tracking devices.

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), also known as concussion, is of great concern in the youth population, with incidences of injury steadily increasing within the past few years. Current Canadian estimates have indicated that the total rate of concussions per 100,000 increased from 467 to 754 for boys and from 209 to 441 for girls from 2003-2010. As defined by the recent Zurich Consensus statement, concussion is a pathophysiological injury induced by biomechanical forces, which can be caused by impact to the head, neck or body. In 10-20% of youth, concussion symptoms persist in the weeks, months or even years following the injury. Consequently, youth with persistent concussion symptoms are unable to fully participate in the meaningful activities (e.g. attending school, engaging with friends and community) they did prior to the injury and experience a reduced quality of life. Persistent concussion symptoms in youth requires an approach that directly addresses the rumination and attention to distressful thoughts about their functional performance, while still promoting appropriate levels of physical and cognitive demands. Targeting these constructs may shift the focus away from symptoms, while building self-efficacy and enhancing participation in daily activities. Mindfulness-based yoga (MBY) is a mind-body intervention that uses physical yoga poses, purposeful breathing techniques and a focus on being in the present moment. MBY encourages participants to develop moment-to-moment awareness of physical sensations, emotions, and thoughts, and promotes the cultivation of non-judgemental and accepting relationships to personal experiences. In chronic pain, fibromyalgia, mental health and now TBI populations, MBY has demonstrated benefits in physical (i.e. increased muscle strength, endurance), psychological (i.e. decreased stress, increased self-efficacy), cognitive (i.e. increased concentration) and social (i.e. emotional regulation, improved mood) domains. Although mindfulness based yoga has been validated as a form of rehabilitation in the adult population, its applicability for youth with persistent concussion symptoms has yet to be explored. Understanding the impact of a MBY intervention on this population may enhance management of persistent symptoms and ultimately, participation in meaningful activities. In addition to the functional sequelae that ensue following this injury, concussion in both the acute and persistent phases is being recognized as a neurophysiological injury. Traditional methods of assessment following concussion place emphasis on subjective self-report and administration of neuropsychological batteries. These assessments are used in an effort to return the youth to activity (i.e school, sport). However, these methods can be unreliable as youth have a high incentive to return to play and neurocognitive resolution does not necessarily equate to pre-injury function. To augment these measures, an objective indicator of neurophysiological stress is needed. Heart rate variability (HRV) is an objective, neurophysiological indicator of autonomic nervous system functioning. HRV is quantified by measuring the time intervals between heartbeats. Increased variability in heart rate (i.e. increased HRV) is seen as healthy neurophysiological function, demonstrating an individual's ability to adapt and be flexible to the demands of the environment. Conversely, decreased HRV is demonstrative of an individual's reduced ability to respond flexibly to their environment. Investigating the impact of persistent concussion symptoms on HRV has the potential to enhance our understanding of autonomic nervous system functioning in the chronic phases of this injury for an understudied population. The specific objectives are to: (1) adapt the MBY intervention protocol to suit the unique needs of youth with mTBI (i.e. safety, fatigue), (2) collect data on the impact of MBY on HRV, self-efficacy and participation, (3) describe changes in HRV, self-efficacy and participation associated with MBY across pre-intervention, post-intervention and 3 months following intervention, (4) identify if post concussion symptoms change (i.e. increase or decrease) following MBY and (5) identify if changes in post concussion symptoms occur with changes in HRV, self-efficacy and participation.