CASE: A practical sports test to guide kids back after concussion
Official title: A Clinical Assessment of Sports and Physical Exertion (CASE) in Children with Concussion
Funded at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital · NIH-11351723 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A child-focused test called CASE will check how a child recovers after a concussion so doctors can decide when it’s safe to return to sports.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Charlestown, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2026 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $480,192 |
| NIH project number | 1R21HD121921-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11351723 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children with concussion, ages 5–18, who are undergoing return-to-play assessment.
✕Less likely to help
Children without concussion or those not in the stages of RTP assessment may not benefit from this tool.
What this research studies
This grant supports developing and testing a practical, low-cost exercise-based tool to measure a child’s readiness to return to play after concussion. It uses a multimodal approach, includes dynamic movement, and relies on affordable equipment so it can be used in schools and clinics. The goal is to provide clear, objective information that complements the traditional symptom-based steps in the return-to-play protocol. By identifying ongoing physiological recovery needs, this work aims to reduce the risk of re-injury and shorten recovery times for children. The study will be conducted at a major rehabilitation hospital and involves a pediatric population with concussion.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this tool could help clinicians make safer return-to-play decisions for children after concussion.
How similar studies have gone: Previous tools have addressed symptom reporting but lacked a comprehensive, dynamic, low-cost approach; this study builds on existing concepts with broader domain coverage.
Where this research is happening
-
Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital
Charlestown, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: O'neil, Morgan a — Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital
- Study coordinator: O'neil, Morgan a
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.