Boosting Brain and Balance: A Mobile Dual-Task Intervention for Athletes With Concussion and Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI)
Trial Snapshot
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Status
- Not yet recruiting
- Sponsor
- Enrollment
- 20
- Locations
- 1
Study Overview
Brief Summary
This research study examines recovery after a sports-related concussion or mild head injury. Many athletes experience lingering problems with thinking, balance, and mood months after a concussion.
We are testing a new home-based program called BraW-Day™ (Brain & Walk Exercise Every Day). This 14-day program uses a mobile app on your smartphone and combines simple brain exercises (like counting backwards) with walking exercises. The idea is that doing these tasks together may help your brain and body recover more effectively.
What You'll Do:
- Two in-person visits at UNLV (baseline and after 14 days) for assessments
- Daily 15-minute exercises at home using the BraW-Day app
- Provide a small saliva sample for biomarker testing
- Complete brief questionnaires about your symptoms and health
Potential Benefits:
You may experience improvements in thinking, balance, or mood. Even if you don't benefit directly, your participation will help researchers understand how to better support athletes recovering from concussion.
Who Can Join:
- Ages 18-40
- Had a sports-related concussion or mild head injury within the past 3-12 months
- Have a smartphone and can safely do light walking and simple tasks
This study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov and approved by the UNLV Institutional Review Board to protect your safety and rights.
Detailed Description
Background and Rationale:
Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and sports-related concussion affect thousands of athletes annually and often result in persistent cognitive, physical, and physiological symptoms that can extend months beyond the initial injury. Current recovery protocols typically focus on single-domain interventions (cognitive training alone or physical rehabilitation alone). Emerging evidence suggests that integrated, dual-task interventions-combining cognitive and physical exercise simultaneously-may enhance neuroplasticity and accelerate functional recovery by engaging multiple neural systems.
Study Rationale:
This feasibility study evaluates a novel mobile dual-task intervention (BraW-Day™) designed specifically for athletes recovering from mTBI/concussion. The intervention combines cognitive challenges with structured walking exercises, administered through a smartphone application for accessibility and adherence. We hypothesize that this integrated approach will improve cognitive function, physical balance, and physiological markers (heart rate variability) while demonstrating feasibility for home-based, technology-enabled delivery.
Intervention Description:
Study Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Na
- Intervention Model
- Single Group
- Primary Purpose
- Treatment
- Masking
- None
Eligibility Criteria
- Ages
- 18 Years to 40 Years (Adult)
- Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria
- •Adults aged 18 to 40 years
- •Self-reported history of sports-related concussion (SRC) or mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) within the past 3 to 12 months
- •Meets criteria for mTBI based on a standardized screening method (e.g., Ohio State University TBI Identification Method)
- •Able to safely participate in light physical activity (e.g., walking) and simple cognitive tasks based on self-report and observational screening by the research team
- •Able to read and understand English (if applicable for study materials)
- •Able to provide informed consent
- •Has access to and is able to use a smartphone or mobile device to complete daily app-based activities
Exclusion Criteria
- •Age younger than 18 years or older than 40 years
- •History of moderate or severe traumatic brain injury
- •Concussion or mTBI occurring less than 3 months or more than 12 months prior to enrollment
- •Self-reported active medical disease or history of neurological or psychiatric conditions unrelated to concussion
- •Self-reported other medical conditions that would limit safe participation in light physical activity (e.g., walking or balance tasks)
- •Currently on prescribed medications that may significantly affect cognitive function, balance, neurological function, or safe participation in light physical activity
- •Inability to use a smartphone or mobile device required for study participation
- •Inability to read or understand English (as study materials and the mobile application are currently available only in English)
Investigators
Hyunhwa Lee
Faculty, School of Nursing
University of Nevada, Las Vegas