Longitudinal MRI Study of 11-18 Year Olds with Head Injuries
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Longitudinal Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Study of 11-18 Year Olds with Traumatic Brain Injury
IRAS ID
336967
Contact name
Natalie Voets
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Oxford / Research Governance, Ethics and Assurance (RGEA)
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 3 months, 30 days
Research summary
Concussions are very common in young people. Despite this, research into head injuries, particularly in adolescents, is scarce. One of the key factors limiting our understanding of head injuries is the absence of reliable predictors of outcome. Specifically, the conventional clinical assessment tools used to evaluate head injuries (computerised tomography scans and clinical scales) do not appear to be sufficiently sensitive to certain aspects of brain injury that may be important with respect to long-term outcome and recovery.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans, however, can investigate more aspects of brain injury, without the use of ionising radiation. Namely, advanced MRI techniques can provide detailed information about nerve pathways in the brain, levels of natural brain chemicals, brain cell function, and the presence of small bleeds, among others. A limited number of studies using these MRI techniques have identified markers of brain injury that better explain why some are affected more severely by their injury than indicated by conventional tools.
This study will recruit 11-18 year olds (60 patients, 60 controls) to take part in two research visits (~2 hours each, ~6 months apart) at the FMRIB-WIN Centre (University of Oxford). Each visit will involve a 30-40 minute MRI scan, questionnaires, and short tasks of performance. By using the advanced MRI techniques to better understand head injuries, our aims are to (1) identify clinical and imaging markers that help us predict how well a young person will recover after a head injury; (2) investigate how these markers change over time;(3) test if clinical factors (like injury mechanism) predict specific imaging findings; and (4) evaluate the lasting burden of head injuries, particularly in sports. We hope that in the future, this work will help identify children who have had a worse injury than suggested by the current clinical assessment tools.
REC name
South Central - Berkshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
24/SC/0155
Date of REC Opinion
11 Jun 2024
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion