A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury caused by a blow or jolt to the head that temporarily disrupts brain function. Most people recover within weeks, but a substantial minority develop persistent post-concussion syndrome with headache, cognitive difficulty, fatigue, and mood changes that last months or longer.
What's actually going on in research
Active rehabilitation protocols — rather than the traditional strict rest — are now the preferred approach and are being refined in trials to find the optimal intensity and timing of activity resumption. Transcranial magnetic stimulation and hyperbaric oxygen are being tested for persistent post-concussion symptoms in controlled trials. Blood biomarkers (GFAP, UCH-L1) and advanced brain imaging are being validated to predict who will develop prolonged symptoms, enabling earlier targeted intervention.
Active rehabilitation
Graduated return-to-activity protocols beginning within days of concussion — rather than prolonged rest — are reducing symptom duration in trials and becoming standard management.
Neurostimulation for persistent symptoms
Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial direct current stimulation are being tested for post-concussion headache, cognitive difficulties, and mood problems.
Blood biomarker prediction
GFAP and UCH-L1 blood tests taken shortly after injury predict symptom severity and recovery duration. Trials are validating these to guide return-to-play decisions and identify patients needing closer monitoring.
What to know before you search
Eligibility requires a recent concussion diagnosis (within defined days for acute trials), specific symptom duration for post-concussion trials, and often absence of prior severe TBI.
What types of trials are currently open
- Rehabilitation trials — Testing activity protocols, exercise timing, and graduated return-to-sport and return-to-school programs.
- Neurostimulation trials — Evaluating rTMS, tDCS, and vagus nerve stimulation for post-concussion syndrome.
- Drug trials — Testing melatonin, omega-3s, and novel neuroprotective drugs for post-concussion symptom management.
- Biomarker trials — Validating blood and imaging biomarkers for prognosis and recovery tracking.
- Prevention trials — Testing helmet technology and rule changes for reducing concussion incidence in contact sports.
Recently added Concussion trials
Effect of Fixation Training With Colored Light Targets on Traumatic Brain Injury-Associated Photophobia
Many people develop intolerance to light after a head injury, leading to ambient light levels causing discomfort. We do not fully understand why this occurs and how it should be treated. A growing number of clinicians have reported improvement in TBI related symptoms reported by patients that undergo daily fixation training with a dim light target. While fixation training using various colored light targets is reported, blue light targets specifically appear to be used in this patient population more often than other light target colors. However, the effectiveness of this approach has yet to be assessed in a well-controlled clinical study. In this work, we will recruit individuals who had a recent brain injury and developed increased light sensitivity. Participants will be divided into two groups: one that first uses daily 20 minute sessions for 12 weeks with the at-home fixation device set to display a blue light target; and another that will undergo similar sessions for 12 weeks using a red light target. Every 6 weeks, masked examiners will measure how well participants can read letters on an eye chart, record pupil responses to light, measure the side vision, measure eye alignment and focusing ability when viewing a near target, and collect information about participants' symptoms. In a cross-over study design, the participants will then switch to sessions involving the other colored fixation light target for another 12 weeks, with data being again collected every 6 weeks. Potential differences in pupil responses to light between the treatment groups will be assessed as an objective outcome measure and compared to subjective symptom survey information. Thus, this work will test the hypothesis that daily fixation training using a blue light target can alleviate light intolerance in participants after head injury more than fixation training with a red light target, and this improvement is associated with altered pupil responses to light. As a significant minority of eye care clinicians currently utilize this approach in this population of patients, this study has the potential to influence clinical practice patterns whether the fixation training is shown to be effective or not.
Impact of a Paced Breathing Exercise Intervention on Autonomic Nervous System Function After Pediatric Concussion (Acute Phase)
The goal of this pilot clinical trial is to assess the feasibility of administering a paced breathing exercise intervention program to children and adolescents in the acute period after concussion. Secondary objectives include documenting symptom severity (ANS related symptoms, post-concussion symptoms, anxiety, sleep) before and after administration of the intervention and examine whether early paced-breathing exercise can accelerate recovery and symptom improvement. Participants will be instructed to perform a daily 10-minutes daily paced breathing home-exercise program and to document the daily exercises performed within a performance log, or receive usual care from the Pediatric Emergency Department. A weekly phone meeting will be performed with all participants to assess recovery progress. Participants randomized to the intervention group will also be asked about their exercises, will be provided specific instructions and adjustments as necessary. All participants (intervention and control group) will undergo a second assessment after four weeks following completion of the intervention program. During the second assessment, information regarding the intervention feasibility, time to return to school, return to sport, and clear from medication will be collected as well.
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