# CARE4Kids: Imaging Biomarker Core

> **NIH NIH U54** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES · 2022 · $179,490

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT – Imaging Biomarker Core
The CARE4Kids Center Without Walls Project aims to discover measurable biomarkers of persistent post-
concussive symptoms (PPCS) and use these markers to characterize subgroups (endophenotypes) that will
inform prognosis and potential treatment. Advanced neuroimaging offers great promise in revealing how
concussion affects brain structure and function, but relatively small sample sizes have limited the reliability and
generalizability of imaging studies to date. The overall goal of the Imaging Biomarker Core is to collect state-of-
the-art multimodal brain imaging data that is maximally informative about outcomes in children and adolescents
with concussion. Multimodal imaging will be collected in the Development Cohort, at baseline only, and used to
develop and test models of outcome prediction that will be examined in the Validation Cohort. The neuroimaging
protocol is designed to maximize data quality and minimize discomfort for our injured, younger patient population
and is based on existing multi-site efforts (i.e., ABCD, UK Biobank) and NINDS imaging recommendations. The
Imaging Biomarker Core has the following Specific Aims: Specific Aim 1: Discover which multimodal brain
imaging measures best predict clinical outcomes in concussion (separately, and when combined with other
biomarkers and clinical measures). Specific Aim 2: Neuroimaging site qualification and training – site
qualification using pilot data and coordinated training will prepare sites to collect high-quality data. Specific Aim
3: Collect high-quality multimodal brain MRI – 360 participants will be scanned across 6 sites in the Development
Cohort. Specific Aim 4: Ongoing data quality control – ongoing quality control through phantoms, volunteers,
and data review will ensure high-quality data that is maximally comparable across sites. Specific Aim 5: Analyze
Data: Transfer images and derived measures to the University of Utah Data Coordinating Center (U-DCC) to
disseminate to the research community. We will use standardized, validated, publicly-available protocols to
process the neuroimaging data. Measures of regional brain volumes, cortical geometry, white matter
organization, functional connectivity, perfusion, and neuropathology (i.e., microbleeds and white matter
hyperintensities) will be compared between groups and examined for correlation with outcome measures. In
addition to these simpler approaches, working with the U-DCC, we will employ machine learning approaches to
identify which combination of imaging, demographic, and clinical measures best predicts functional outcome.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10485187
- **Project number:** 5U54NS121688-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES
- **Principal Investigator:** PAUL M THOMPSON
- **Activity code:** U54 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $179,490
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-09-08 → 2027-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10485187

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10485187, CARE4Kids: Imaging Biomarker Core (5U54NS121688-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10485187. Licensed CC0.

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