Concussions are the most common form of head injury. Young people who get concussions take longer to recover and are at higher risk of developing symptoms that persist for many months after their injury.

We want to improve the ways in which concussions are prevented, recognized, managed, and treated. Our current understanding of sports-related concussion comes largely from adult studies. In youth, we are less able to predict the recovery process, and have little understanding of the long-term effects of concussion, which makes this study particularly important.

The goals of the SHRed Concussions Study are therefore:

1. To develop better prevention strategies
2. To develop better tests to diagnose concussions and track recovery
3. To develop better strategies to help students return to school and sports quickly and safely

Grade 8-11 students (13-17-years-old) who play one of the following higher-risk sports (at the interscholastic, community, or club level) are potentially eligible to participate: basketball, football, ice hockey, ringette, lacrosse, rugby, soccer, volleyball, cheerleading, wrestling, alpine skiing, or sledge hockey.

The study is being conducted by researchers at UBC, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute and UBC Okanagan: Drs. Ian Pike, Shelina Babul, Paul van Donkelaar, and Cheryl Wellington.

Request an information package or contact the study coordinator to learn more about the study: