CARE4Kids Study: Endophenotypes of Persistent Post-Concussive Symptoms in Adolescents: Study Rationale and Protocol

Treatment of youth concussion during the acute phase continues to evolve, and this has led to the emergence of guidelines to direct care. While symptoms after concussion typically resolve in 14-28 days, a portion (∼20%) of adolescents endorse persistent post-concussive symptoms (PPCS) beyond normal resolution. This report outlines a study implemented in response to the National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke call for the development and initial clinical validation of objective biological measures to predict risk of PPCS in adolescents. We describe our plans for recruitment of a Development cohort of 11- to 17-year-old youth with concussion, and collection of autonomic, neurocognitive, biofluid, and imaging biomarkers. The most promising of these measures will then be validated in a separate Validation cohort of youth with concussion, and a final, clinically useful algorithm will be developed and disseminated. Upon completion of this study, we will have generated a battery of measures predictive of high risk for PPCS, which will allow for identification and testing of interventions to prevent PPCS in the most high-risk youth.