Actively Recruiting
Post-Concussion Musculoskeletal Injury Risks
Led by Walter Reed National Military Medical Center · Updated on 2026-01-27
148
Participants Needed
3
Research Sites
258 weeks
Total Duration
On this page
Sponsors
W
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center
Lead Sponsor
W
Womack Army Medical Center
Collaborating Sponsor
AI-Summary
What this Trial Is About
Musculoskeletal injuries (MSKI) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) are the signature injuries of the ongoing military conflicts. MSKI affect 800,000 Service Members annually and TBI have impacted more than 350,000 in the past 19 years and account for 22% of all combat casualties. Concussion, a mild form of TBI, increases MSKI risk in physically active individuals, including Service Members. The overall goal of the study is to identify the neuromuscular control mechanisms that increase MSKI risk following concussion. It is hypothesized that concussed individuals will display abnormal neuromuscular function that increases MSKI risk, as compared to non-concussed controls. The study will employ a multi-center, prospective, case-matched control observational study to identify the differences in neuromuscular function following concussion that may contribute to increased MSKI risk. Once the neuromuscular control mechanisms that increase MSKI risk following concussion are identified, targeted risk mitigation strategies can be developed to reduce MSKI risk.
CONDITIONS
Official Title
Post-Concussion Musculoskeletal Injury Risks
Who Can Participate
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if you...
- Age between 18 and 40 years
- For concussed group: self-reported asymptomatic following concussion and monitored symptom-free by daily questionnaires
- For concussed group: recruited within 5 days of concussion diagnosis and at least 72 hours before reporting asymptomatic
- Access to functional email and internet for completing self-reports
- For non-concussed group: active duty Service members or physically active civilians
- For non-concussed group: no concussion history in the past 5 years and no lingering concussion symptoms
- For non-concussed group: matched by gender, within ±15% height, weight, BMI, within ±2 years of age, and similar physical activity type and duration as the concussed participant
You will not qualify if you...
- Unable to read or understand English
- Hospitalized after concussion
- Concussion caused by non-physical activity events (e.g., blast injury, falls, motor vehicle accidents)
- Loss of consciousness longer than 30 minutes
- Altered consciousness longer than 24 hours
- Post-traumatic amnesia lasting more than 1 day
- Glasgow Coma Scale below 13
- Abnormal brain imaging results
- Took longer than 21 days to report asymptomatic after concussion
- Musculoskeletal injury in last 6 months causing missed or altered physical activity for 3+ days
- History of musculoskeletal injury surgery
- Pregnant females (eligible only after medical clearance post-pregnancy)
- Contraindications for electrical stimulation including active blood clots, acute inflammation, hemorrhagic conditions, poor circulation, infections, malignancy, recently radiated tissue, skin disease or damage
- Presence of implanted pacemaker, electronic devices, or plastic/cement materials
AI-Screening
AI-Powered Screening
Complete this quick 3-step screening to check your eligibility
Trial Site Locations
Total: 3 locations
1
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia, United States, 30602
Actively Recruiting
2
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center
Bethesda, Maryland, United States, 20814
Actively Recruiting
3
Womack Army Medical Center
Fort Bragg, North Carolina, United States, 28310
Active, Not Recruiting
Research Team
B
Bradford D Hendershot, PhD
CONTACT
J
Joseph G Wasser, PhD
CONTACT
How is the study designed?
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Masking
N/A
Allocation
N/A
Model
N/A
Primary Purpose
N/A
Number of Arms
2
Not the Right Trial for You?
Explore thousands of other clinical trials that might be a better match.
Sign up to get personalized trial recommendations delivered to your inbox.
Already have an account? Log in here