The Combined Effect of Chronic Cannabis Use and Subconcussive Head Impacts on Brain Health
ConcussionMildThe purpose of this pilot study is to better understand the effects of chronic cannabis (THC) use on the neural responses to subconcussive head impacts, as a form of repetitive soccer headings. The study is designed to identify the physiological changes of cannabis using cohort (THC) and compare it to a nonusing cohort in order to see if the responses to 20 controlled bouts of soccer headings are exacerbated by the chronic cannabis use, diminished to less of a response, or unchanged, through an array of neurologic measures, including cognitive function, ocolar-motor function, autonomic function, and blood biomarkers. The hypothesis is that repetitive subconcussive head impacts will impair cognitive function in worse memory, attention span, and visual and verbal problem solving; this impairment will be greater in the chronic cannabis use groups than non-using group. The blood and salivary biomarkers neurofilament light (NFL) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) will be measured in plasma, with the hypothesis that repetitive subconcussive head impacts will significantly increase plasma NFL and GFAP level at 24 hours-post heading and decrease by 72 hours-post heading, while remaining undetectable at 2 hours-post heading; the chronic cannabis use groups will see more severe effects on ocular-motor function than the non-using group. The study aims to determine the differences in acute effects of subconcussive head impacts on eye movement, attention, and language function between chronic cannabis use subjects and non-using subjects by evaluating ocular-motor function with near point of convergence and King-Devick tests. The hypothesis is that repetitive subconcussive head impacts will significantly increase impairments of eye movements, attention, and language function, as well as near point of convergence; the chronic cannabis use groups will see more severe effects on hampered ocular-motor function than the non-using group. Lastly, there is a cold pressor test to assess autonomic nerve function, with the hypothesis that repetitive subconcussive head impacts will decrease autonomic nerve function in chronic cannabis use patients to a greater degree than non-using subjects.
Early Sub-threshold Exercise Treatment for Concussion
ConcussionMildEach year millions of Americans suffer concussions as a result of accidents in sports, at work or through military service. Adolescents take the longest to recover from the effects of concussion yet no therapy exists to help speed their recovery. This project aims to see if a program of early guided aerobic exercise can safely speed recovery from concussion in adolescents and investigates some reasons for why this type of therapy could be effective.
Use of Adipose-Derived Stem/Stromal Cells in Concussion and Traumatic Brain Injuries
Traumatic EncephalopathiesChronic8 moreConcussion is the most common type of brain injury throughout life. Study is seeking improvement of long-term residua following adolescent and adult post-traumatic injuries often associated with contact sports and accidental causes. Typically defined as reversible head injury with temporary loss of brain function. Symptoms range from physical, cognitive, pain (headache) and emotional signs consistent with TBI and Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome. Use of AD-cSVF parenteral delivery to encourage repair of damage and decreased function following concussion, particularly in contact, repetitive sports injuries. Range of damage is measured in Grade I-III according to graduated severity. Unfortunately, less information is available about repetitive concussions and the long-term health issues.
Attention Intervention Management
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)4 moreThis is a research study to learn if a computer-based intervention that provides direct attention and metacognitive strategy development can improve attention, memory, and executive control in adolescents with moderate-to-severe TBI who are experiencing attention difficulties post injury.
Growth Hormone or Sildenafil as Therapies for Fatigue in Mild- Traumatic-brain-injury (MTBI)
Traumatic Brain InjuryThe overall goal is to determine whether perceptual or performance fatigue can be reduced in MTBI patients with and without growth hormone (GH) deficiency by treating them in a crossover fashion based upon GH status. A battery of functional, fatigue, cognitive, imaging and blood flow tests will be performed to assess the efficacy of the two drug interventions, Growth hormone and Sildenafil.
Sensorimotor Training for Injury Prevention in Collegiate Soccer Players II
ConcussionMild1 moreThe purpose of this project is to evaluate the effectiveness of an injury prevention intervention delivered primarily using headset virtual reality for collegiate soccer players. The hypothesis is that measures of sensorimotor control will improve, injury incidence rate will decrease and on-field soccer performance will improve.
Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Discrimination
Brain ConcussionEvaluation of the utility of a multi-modal assessment tool in distinguishing between individuals with and without a history of mild traumatic brain injury.
Rapid Biochemical Diagnostics of Traumatic Brain Injury
Traumatic Brain InjuryConcussion2 moreThe objective of the study is to confirm the clinical relevance of the novel biomarker for traumatic brain injury (TBI) detection. Samples of blood, urine and saliva will be collected from a) patients with suspected TBI (isolated), b) patients with orthopedic injury, and c) healthy controls. The sponsor will do biochemical investigations for the samples to evaluate the presence, level and structure of the targeted biomarker.
Concussion Prevention in Female Soccer Athletes
ConcussionMild2 moreThe purpose of the study is to monitor longitudinal changes in brain structure and function between the preseason and postseason, in a population of soccer playing athletes wearing the Device and compared to a similar population not wearing the device. Secondly, the purpose is to determine the protection of the device relative to amount and magnitude of sustained head impacts.
Novel Protection Against Potential Brain, Hearing and Vision Injury During Blast Wave Exposure
ConcussionMildThe purpose of the study is to monitor changes in brain structure and function between the pre-training and post-training, in a population of tactical team members wearing the Device and compared to a similar population not wearing the device. Secondly, the purpose is to determine the protection of the device relative to amount and magnitude of sustained head impacts.