We are looking for healthy individuals aged 18 years and over to take part in a study on concussion entitled “Multimodal Study of Concussion in Sport”. The participants will be part of a control group which will be used to carry out comparisons against elite female and male rugby athletes to identify biomarkers of head impact in sports. Participation will involve a single appointment with series of clinical tests, questionnaires, blood and saliva acquisition, and an MRI scan. The expected time commitment is 2hrs.
If you, or anyone you know, fits this description and are interested in participating, please let us know by email, and we will be in touch to discuss further. We would appreciate it if you could share this call for participants with anyone you think may be fit and interested in participating in the study. You will find an Information Sheet explaining the details of the study, along with a Poster with more details. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out and ask.
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE STUDY?
We are interested in improving our understanding of what happens after a concussion in women & men, by using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and other tools. Our aim is to use this knowledge to develop simple, low-cost tests that can be used by players, coaches and doctors in community sports clubs and schools to improve the diagnosis and management of concussion and safe return-to-play.
WHAT DOES THE STUDY INVOLVE?
We will ask you to attend one visit. The visit will last around two hours (excluding travel to and from the site, which we will reimburse) and would involve:
- A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scan
- Blood and saliva tests
- Measurement of brain activity using electroencephalography (EEG)
- A balance test
- A test of eye and pupil movements
- Clinical assessment
WHO CAN TAKE PART?
We are looking for people who:
Are aged 18 years and over
Unfortunately, you will not be able to take part if any of the following apply:
- Unsafe to be around a strong magnet
- Previous neurological or psychiatric diagnosis (other than concussion)
- Undergoing active treatment for (or currently recovering from) head injury
You do not need to have had a previous concussion to participate. We are also interested in healthy participants, so that we can compare them to concussed sports participants.
If you would like to find out more, please contact tobias.harritz@eng.ox.ac.uk
Ethics Approval Reference: MS IDREC 772420