Grant: Team Grant: Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in Children & Youth -Fonds de rech QC

The incidence of pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) in North America is alarmingly high; studies suggest that mild TBI (mTBI) make up 70-80% of all cases reported. Of particular concern is that not only do many post-concussive symptoms, which manifest as cognitive, physical and behavioural deficits, persist for a subset of patients, but there is very little consensus among clinicians and researchers on how to diagnose and treat mTBI. Furthermore, there is a dearth of research examining the long-lasting effects of sustaining multiple mTBIs. One factor that contributes to this lack of consensus is that many clinicians and researchers use different tools or methods to collect data, thus making comparisons across sites challenging. Given this, we have assembled a team of nationally and internationally distinguished clinician scientists, researchers, and knowledge users from across Canada, whose innovative research programs and clinical initiatives have had a significant impact on the field of pediatric mTBI. We propose to create a comprehensive, flexible and sustainable data management system that will serve to significantly advance clinical care via amalgamated and accessible research evidence. The goal of this mTBI Team Grant is to create a culture of national collaboration, data collection and rapid clinical uptake of innovation in discovery. Our overall goal is to enhance our ability to conduct multi-centre research and provide evidence-based care across Canada that will assist in diagnoses and treatment of pediatric mTBI.