Positive Assurance and mTBI

Not Applicable

• Conditions: MTBI - Mild Traumatic Brain Injury; Concussion, Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

• Registration Number: NCT04982731
• Lead Sponsor: Inova Health Care Services

Brief Summary

This study will develop and validate a new educational video that provides positive assurance about mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) recovery for patients with mTBI.

Detailed Description

The research team will investigate the effect of this new Positive Assurance discharge intervention video on state anxiety and clinical recovery outcomes in patients with mTBI. A sample of adolescent and young adult patients (13-21yrs) will be recruited for participation that present with a potential mTBI diagnosis and receive specialty referral to the Inova Sports Medicine Concussion Program for follow-up care. Investigators will employ a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to enroll two groups of mTBI patients: 1) a group that receives the video intervention (EDUC), and 2) a group that receives standard discharge instructions (i.e., treatment as usual: TAU).

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2021-04-07
• Study First Submitted QC: 2021-07-27
• Study First Posted: 2021-07-29
• Study Start: 2021-10-15
• Status Verified: 2025-10
• Last Update Submitted: 2025-10-09
• Last Update Posted: 2025-10-14
• Primary Completion: 2026-10
• Study Completion: 2026-10-01

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: ENROLLING_BY_INVITATION
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 229

Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Behavioral Regulation Assessment for Concussion (BRAC)	Gathered at Baseline Visit	The Behavioral Regulation Assessment for Concussion (BRAC) is a five-item, four-point Likert scale (with values ranging from '0-Never' to '5-Most of the Time') assessment for the frequency of self-reported behavioral regulation behaviors that occurred during the past seven days. Scores range from 0 to 20, with higher scores indicating a better outcome. Likert scale scores are reported for each item, with a higher score indicating greater frequency. An average score for the BRAC is the average of all the scores across the items.
Expectations of Recovery Scale	Gathered at Baseline Visit	The Expectations of Recovery Scale will be used to measure the effect of positive assurance on recovery. This is a seven-item scale that asks individuals to assess whether they think they will get better soon, return to usual activities/work within the next month, return to the pre-injury performance and to consider what they had been told about their injury and what those closest to them advised. Items within this scale are scored independently of each other, therefore neither higher nor lower scores indicate a better or worse outcome.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI)	Gathered at Baseline Visit and through study completion, an average of one month	The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) will be used to assess state anxiety in participants ages 15 years and older. The S-Anxiety scale (STAI Form Y-1) consists of twenty statements that are rated on a four-point Likert scale (1- not at all; 4 - very much so) that evaluate how respondents feel "right now, at this moment." The T-Anxiety scale (STAI Form Y-2) consists of twenty statements rated on a four-point Likert scale (1- almost never; 4 - almost always) that assess how people generally feel. Scores for both scales are continuous and range from 20-80, and clinical levels of state anxiety are classified with scores \>40.
mTBI Symptoms	Gathered at Baseline Visit and through study completion, an average of one month	The Post-Concussion Symptom Scale (PCSS) will be used to assess mTBI symptoms. This measure includes 22 symptoms (e.g., headache, nausea, dizziness, etc…) that are rated by the patient on a seven-point Likert scale (e.g., 0 = mild, 6 = severe). Outcome scores for the PCSS are total number of reported symptoms (0 - 22) and total symptom severity score (0 - 132).
Immediate Post-concussion Assessment and Cognitive Test (ImPACT)	Gathered at Baseline Visit and through study completion, an average of one month	Investigators will assess cognitive function using the Immediate Post-concussion Assessment and Cognitive Test (ImPACT) computerized tool. ImPACT assesses attention, visual working memory, verbal recognition memory, reaction time, visual processing speed, numerical sequencing ability, and learning.
Vestibular/Ocular Motor Screening (VOMS)	Gathered at Baseline Visit and through study completion	Investigators will use the Vestibular/Ocular Motor Screening (VOMS) tool to assess vestibular and ocular motor impairment via patient-reported symptom provocation. The VOMS consists of the following five components: 1) smooth pursuits, 2) horizontal and vertical saccades, 3) convergence, 4) horizontal and vertical vestibular ocular reflex (VOR) and 5) visual motion sensitivity (VMS). Self-reported symptom severities (0-10) are reported with each of the five components, with higher ratings reflecting greater symptom severity.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Inova Health System; 🇺🇸 Falls Church, Virginia, United States