Grant: Team Grant: Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in Children & Youth -Hotchkiss Brain Ins

Over half a million Canadian youth are registered in ice hockey leagues, and 10-20% of them get a concussion each year. The long-term effects of concussion and the best way to treat it are still unknown, especially in youth. This is a frightening thought for parents, doctors, and athletes. We want to find out: (1) how to stop youth ice hockey players from sustaining a concussion by understanding the risk factors for concussion; (2) if they get a concussion, how to identify and manage it as soon as possible; and (3) if they get a concussion, how to make sure that they recover fully and prevent re-injury. In this project we will follow 1040 ice hockey players starting in Pee Wee (ages 11-12 years) from Calgary, Alberta, for five years. We will collect information on hockey participation and concussions sustained. Each year the players will undergo baseline assessment including physical, psychological, and functional tests. If players sustain a concussion during the five years of the study, they will be referred to a study sport medicine doctor immediately, and undergo the same testing that they do each year at baseline as well as other tests that monitor the symptoms specific to concussion. This project will help us understand how to reduce the risk of concussion and prolonged symptoms associated with concussion in youth who play ice hockey. This research will inform best practice to improve the short- and long-term health and quality of life of youth who have suffered concussion.