How mild head injuries affect recovery in children
Official title: The Impact of Diffuse Mild Brain Injury on Clinical Outcomes in Children
Funded at Lovelace Biomedical Research Institute · NIH-11321148 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at brain scans and lab tests to better understand recovery after mild head injuries in children and teens.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Lovelace Biomedical Research Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Albuquerque, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2016 |
| Project end | January 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,004,788 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS098494-07 |
| Project ID | NIH-11321148 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children and adolescents (roughly ages 0–21) who recently experienced a mild traumatic brain injury or concussion, including those with ongoing symptoms, are the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without a head injury, adults outside the study age range, or those with moderate to severe brain injuries are unlikely to benefit from this specific project.
What this research studies
If your child has had a mild head injury or concussion, this research will use advanced brain imaging and biological measures to look for hidden changes that might not match how they feel. Researchers will compare symptoms your child reports with scans of brain structure, blood markers, and measurements of brain chemicals over time. The team aims to identify signs of ongoing injury that could raise the risk of problems if activity is resumed too soon. Participation will involve imaging visits and sample collection at study visits over the months after injury.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help doctors know when a child’s brain is truly healed and make safer return-to-activity decisions to prevent repeat injury.
How similar studies have gone: This renewal builds on the team's prior R01 and other studies that have shown persistent imaging changes after pediatric mild TBI, so it extends promising earlier findings.
Where this research is happening
-
Lovelace Biomedical Research Institute
Albuquerque, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mayer, Andrew Robert — Lovelace Biomedical Research Institute
- Study coordinator: Mayer, Andrew Robert
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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.