Post-Concussion Musculoskeletal Injury Risks

Launched by WALTER REED NATIONAL MILITARY MEDICAL CENTER · Nov 9, 2021

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying the risks of musculoskeletal injuries (like sprains or strains) that can occur after a concussion, which is a mild brain injury often seen in physically active people, especially in military service members. The researchers want to understand how a concussion affects the way our muscles and nerves work together, which could lead to a higher risk of these injuries. By comparing individuals who have had a concussion to those who have not, they hope to identify specific factors that increase the chances of getting a musculoskeletal injury after a concussion.

To participate in this study, you need to be between 18 and 40 years old and either a service member or someone who is physically active. For the concussed group, you must have recently been diagnosed with a concussion but currently feel symptom-free. You will need a reliable way to communicate online, as daily check-ins about your symptoms will be part of the study. If you're in the non-concussed group, you should not have had a concussion in the past five years and will be matched with someone from the concussed group based on age, weight, height, and activity level. Participants can expect to undergo evaluations to measure their muscle and nerve function, which will help develop better strategies to prevent injuries after concussions.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Concussed Cohort
• • 18-40 years old.
• • Self-reported asymptomatic post-concussion following enrollment into the study and monitoring of symptoms by research personnel via daily self-reported symptom questionnaires.
• • Recruited within 5 days following being diagnosed with a concussion, and at least 72 hours prior to self-reporting as asymptomatic.
• • Access to a functional email address and the internet for completion of patient reported outcomes (PROs) and musculoskeletal injury measures.
• • Non-Concussed Cohort
• • 18-40 years old.
• • Active duty Service members and physically active civilians.
• • No self-report history of concussion within the previous 5 years.
• • No lingering post-concussion signs/symptoms.
• • Same gender as the matched concussed participant.
• • Within ±5% of the matched concussed participant's height, weight, and body mass index.
• • Within ±2 years of age of the matched concussed participant.
• • Participant in the same physical activities (work, recreational sports, average type \[no impact, low-impact, high-impact\] and duration of physical activity)
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Post-Concussion Cohort AND Healthy Non-Concussed Cohort
• • Unable to read or comprehend the English language.
• • Admitted to the hospital following concussion.
• • Sustained a concussion not related to physical activity participation (e.g., blast-related injury, fall from a ladder, motor vehicle accident).
• • Loss of consciousness longer than 30 minutes.
• • Alteration in consciousness longer than 24 hours.
• • Post-traumatic amnesia lasting longer than 1 day.
• • Glasgow Coma Scale below 13.
• • Abnormal brain imaging findings.
• • Sustained a concussion that took longer than 21 days for the individual to report as asymptomatic.
• • A MSKI within the last 6 months that resulted in altered or missed physical activity for 3 or more consecutive days.
• • History of MSKI surgery.
• • Pregnant females (will be eligible for participation in the study once medically cleared to RTD/A by a qualified and licensed healthcare provider following the end of the pregnancy).
• • Participants will be excluded if they present any known contraindications for electrical stimulation. These contraindications include conditions such as: active deep vein thrombosis/thrombophlebitis, any acute injury with concurrent inflammation, hemorrhagic conditions, impaired circulation, impaired local sensations, presence of infection (osteomyelitis, tuberculosis), malignancy, recently radiated tissue, skin disease/damage and/or at-risk skin.
• • Present with any implanted pacemaker, electronic device, or plastic/cement material