Concussion, Attention, and Mental Health: A Brain Network Study in Youth (CAMBY) - Study Protocol
- 1Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital
Abstract
BACKGROUNDOne in three adolescents with a concussion history report experiencing long-lasting somatic, sleep, emotional, and/or cognitive disturbances (persisting symptoms after concussion (PSaC)). Cognitive difficulties, such as attentional problems, are common symptoms and can interfere with ongoing development. Clinically, psychiatric symptoms also present in youth with PSaC. A concussion causes diffuse functional and microstructural alterations to neural networks. To develop targeted treatments for PSaC (e.g., neurostimulation), we need to understand how and where structural alterations and neural dysfunction intersect to cause long-lasting symptoms.
OBJECTIVES1) Identify functional and microstructural properties in intrinsic connectivity networks, as well as neuropsychological outcomes, that differentiate adolescents with concussion with PSaC from those who do not have PSaC. 2) Determine whether neural activity within intrinsic connectivity networks mediates the relationship between network microstructure and specific neuropsychological features in adolescents with concussion.
METHODSCAMBY is a prospective study of adolescents aged 12 to 18 years with a history of concussion. Participants are allocated based on recovery status (PSaC vs. No-PSaC (recovered controls)). Advanced structural (magnetic resonance imaging; MRI) and functional (magnetoencephalography; MEG) neuroimaging and neuropsychological measures will be collected one month or more after concussion. Microstructural and functional features will be computed within intrinsic connectivity networks, then compared between PSaC and recovered control groups and related to symptom domains and neuropsychological profiles.
IMPACTThis will be the first study to integrate MRI, MEG, and neuropsychology in adolescents with PSaC to identify disrupted networks underlying PSaC. This observational study is a necessary step towards future clinical trials that accurately target promising therapeutic neurostimulation protocols.
Related
- Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Treatment Pattern and Its Associated Outcomes Among Children Referred to Psychiatry and Mental Health Services in Malaysia: Protocol for a Retrospective Cohort Study.
- Co-development, initial evaluation and implementation of a digital health intervention (SmartADHD) for young people (aged 16-30) with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, including optimisation for sustainable delivery via health and social care settings: protocol for a mixed-methods study.
- Immigrant-origin adolescent mental and sexual health disparities in the USA: a scoping review protocol.
- Avoiding Feelings and Resisting Closeness: A Network Analysis of Attachment and Affect Regulation in Adolescents with Mental Health Concerns
- The effectiveness of a therapeutically applied Dungeons and Dragons group intervention in a community mental health setting – Protocol for a randomised controlled trial.
BibTeX
@misc{scratch2026concussion,
title = {{Concussion, Attention, and Mental Health: A Brain Network Study in Youth (CAMBY) - Study Protocol}},
author = {S. Scratch and P. K. Gill and A. Hickling and A. Irvin and R. Zamyadi and S. Parimoo and P. R. Johnston and A. L. Davis and G. M. Ibrahim and B. T. Dunkley and A. L. Wheeler},
howpublished = {medRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.64898/2026.10.14.26365111},
url = {https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.14.26365111v1},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Concussion, Attention, and Mental Health: A Brain Network Study in Youth (CAMBY) - Study Protocol
AU - S. Scratch
AU - P. K. Gill
AU - A. Hickling
AU - A. Irvin
AU - R. Zamyadi
AU - S. Parimoo
AU - P. R. Johnston
AU - A. L. Davis
AU - G. M. Ibrahim
AU - B. T. Dunkley
AU - A. L. Wheeler
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/14
PB - medRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.10.14.26365111
UR - https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.14.26365111v1
AB - BACKGROUNDOne in three adolescents with a concussion history report experiencing long-lasting somatic, sleep, emotional, and/or cognitive disturbances (persisting symptoms after concussion (PSaC)). Cognitive difficulties, such as attentional problems, are common symptoms and can interfere with ongoing development. Clinically, psychiatric symptoms also present in youth with PSaC. A concussion causes diffuse functional and microstructural alterations to neural networks. To develop targeted treatments for PSaC (e.g., neurostimulation), we need to understand how and where structural alterations and neural dysfunction intersect to cause long-lasting symptoms. OBJECTIVES1) Identify functional and microstructural properties in intrinsic connectivity networks, as well as neuropsychological outcomes, that differentiate adolescents with concussion with PSaC from those who do not have PSaC. 2) Determine whether neural activity within intrinsic connectivity networks mediates the relationship between network microstructure and specific neuropsychological features in adolescents with concussion. METHODSCAMBY is a prospective study of adolescents aged 12 to 18 years with a history of concussion. Participants are allocated based on recovery status (PSaC vs. No-PSaC (recovered controls)). Advanced structural (magnetic resonance imaging; MRI) and functional (magnetoencephalography; MEG) neuroimaging and neuropsychological measures will be collected one month or more after concussion. Microstructural and functional features will be computed within intrinsic connectivity networks, then compared between PSaC and recovered control groups and related to symptom domains and neuropsychological profiles. IMPACTThis will be the first study to integrate MRI, MEG, and neuropsychology in adolescents with PSaC to identify disrupted networks underlying PSaC. This observational study is a necessary step towards future clinical trials that accurately target promising therapeutic neurostimulation protocols.
ER -