Grant: CIHR Fellowship

Concussion in youth is a public health concern. Physical symptoms (such as headache or dizziness), concentration problems, and emotional changes (such as depression and anxiety) are common following concussions. One-third of adolescents continue to experience concussion symptoms for more than a month. Concussion can affect youth's confidence in their abilities to manage stressful events, lower their quality of life, and may hinder participation in activities such as schoolwork, socializing, and sports. Adapting to the injury and regulating emotions and stress is important to reduce the risk of prolonged symptoms. Early psychological intervention may improve one's ability to adapt post-injury, resulting in greater acceptance of change, reduced stress, and recovery of emotional and cognitive symptoms and brain functioning. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBI) are a type of meditation that aims to improve the ability to be fully present and focus on being aware of the sensations and feeling in the moment without interpretation or judgment. MBI has been shown to improve coping skills, depression, anxiety, and attentional focus. Our study will combine state-of-the-art, advanced magnetic resonance imaging scans with patient self-report to determine if MBI delivered via a smartphone application ("app") results in improved quality of life and brain function, and lower risk of prolonged symptoms. Our pilot study suggested that the app-based MBI is acceptable and credible according to youth with an acute concussion. We believe that using the app will foster adaptive skills with the goal of regulating brain function and emotions, and, as a result, reducing post-concussive symptoms. Our results will validate the app-based MBI which promises an innovative preventive and accessible concussion treatment by all youth, thus increasing access to cutting-edge therapies.