Assessing headaches in children to identify serious brain issues

Headache Assessment of Children for Emergent Intracranial Abnormalities

NIH-funded research Columbia University Health Sciences · NIH-10884916

This study is looking at kids who go to the emergency room with headaches to find out which ones might need extra tests for serious brain issues, helping doctors decide when it's really necessary to do scans while keeping kids safe from too much radiation.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionColumbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (New York, United States)
Project IDNIH-10884916 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

This research focuses on children who visit emergency departments with headaches, aiming to identify which children are at risk for serious brain conditions like tumors or strokes. By analyzing clinical characteristics, the study seeks to develop a decision support tool that helps doctors determine when neuroimaging is necessary, reducing unnecessary exposure to radiation from CT scans. The research will gather data on various headache symptoms and their correlation with brain abnormalities, ultimately improving patient care in emergency settings.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates for this research are children aged 0-17 who present to emergency departments with complaints of headaches.

Not a fit: Patients with headaches that are not presenting in emergency settings or those with known chronic conditions may not benefit from this research.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this research could significantly reduce unnecessary neuroimaging in children, minimizing their exposure to harmful radiation and improving the accuracy of identifying serious conditions.

How similar studies have performed: Previous research has indicated that refining clinical decision-making tools can improve patient outcomes, suggesting that this approach has potential for success.

Where this research is happening

New York, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions Airway infections
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.