How mild head injuries affect children's behavior, thinking, mental health, brain scans, and genes
Official title: Pediatric Mild Traumatic Brain Injury and the ABCD Study: A Prospective Behavioral, Psychiatric, Neurocognitive, Imaging, and Genetic Investigation
Funded at University of California, San Diego · NIH-11312612 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are using long-term brain scans, behavior tests, and genetic data from children to learn how mild head injuries affect thinking, behavior, and mental health.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Diego NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project start | June 15, 2022 |
| Project end | April 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $442,724 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HD105338-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11312612 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children who were enrolled in the ABCD study at age 9–10 and later experienced a mild traumatic brain injury (concussion) are the ideal candidates for this analysis.
✕Less likely to help
Children with moderate or severe brain injuries, adults, or children not enrolled in the ABCD study (without pre‑injury data) are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this project.
What this research studies
If your child was enrolled in the ABCD study as a 9–10 year old, this project compares kids who later had a mild head injury with those who had an accidental bone fracture or no injury. The team uses pre‑injury and post‑injury behavioral ratings, psychiatric measures, neurocognitive tests, and sequential structural and functional brain imaging. They will also examine genetic and family factors to see which preexisting traits predict different outcomes after a concussion. Findings come from a large, ongoing 21‑site U.S. cohort followed annually since 2016.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could help doctors predict which children are at higher risk for lasting thinking, behavior, or mental health problems after a concussion and guide better follow‑up care.
How similar studies have gone: Previous pediatric concussion research has had mixed, sometimes controversial results, and using rich pre‑injury longitudinal ABCD data is a relatively novel approach that may clarify prior inconsistencies.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Diego
La Jolla, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Max, Jeffrey Edwin — University of California, San Diego
- Study coordinator: Max, Jeffrey Edwin
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: A High-Tech Look Inside the Brain with Diffusion MRI
Researchers are using advanced brain imaging to find biological clues in people who have mild traumatic brain injuries.
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How neuromodulation may help headaches after a mild brain injury
A small study tests whether stimulating the brain with a noninvasive technique can lessen persistent headaches in people who recently had a concussion.
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New ways to treat chronic pain after mild brain injuries
A research team is studying why some people develop long-lasting pain after a mild head injury and how brain inflammation contributes to it.
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Retraining brain pathways to boost thinking after a mild head injury
A clinical trial tests a brain-training program to improve thinking and memory in people who have had a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI).
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Neurobehavioral effects of childhood brain injuries and addiction risk in twins
This grant studies how mild traumatic brain injury in childhood might influence behavior and the chance of developing addictive behaviors later in life, using twins to understand what’s due to injury versus other factors.
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Understanding and improving reactive balance after mild traumatic brain injury
This grant tests how people recover their balance after a mild brain injury and how targeted training could help prevent falls.
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.