# A novel approach to exercise as treatment for injury-induced impairments in cerebrovascular function among adolescents with concussion

> **NIH NIH F31** · UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER · 2024 · $38,714

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY. CANDIDATE: Mathew Wingerson is a doctoral student at the University of Colorado
Anschutz School of Medicine pursuing research innovations to support clinical management of concussion. His
doctoral research has investigated novel approaches to prescribing aerobic exercise in clinical settings to
facilitate concussion recovery. The training plan and research proposed in this F31 application will further equip
him for an independent research career investigating post-concussion diagnosis, prognosis, and rehabilitation.
DOCTORAL TRAINING PLAN: The training plan aims to (1) develop expertise as a clinical trialist in rehabilitation
sciences, (2) expand knowledge in advanced data science methods for clinical research, and (3) gain meaningful
experience in concussion fluid biomarkers of recovery and brain pathophysiology. These objectives will be
achieved through coursework, research experience, conference attendance, and mentorship from a
multidisciplinary team. SPONSOR, CO-SPONSOR, & COLLABORATORS: Dr. David Howell, an expert in
concussion research, and Dr. Brianne Bettcher, a specialist in brain biomarkers, will serve as the project sponsor
and co-sponsor. Additional contributions from Dr. Jonathan Smirl, a cerebrovascular physiologist, and Dr. Patrick
Carry, an applied biostatistician and epidemiologist, will supplement the training plan, providing their expertise
to facilitate Mathew’s doctoral education and successful execution of the research project. Dr. Julie Wilson, a
physician-researcher and director of concussion clinical care at the Children's Hospital Colorado Sports Medicine
Center, offers an expert clinical perspective throughout the execution of the training plan and research, having
provided clinical management to children and adolescents with concussion for >13 years. RESEARCH: Active
rehabilitation after concussion, including engagement with aerobic exercise, is standard-of-care clinical practice.
Existing guidelines for prescribing aerobic exercise are complex, resource- and time-inefficient, and impractical
for some clinical settings. Concussion-induced physiological impairments, such as cerebrovascular dysfunction,
persist beyond symptom resolution and may not be effectively treated by current rehabilitation guidelines. This
proposed research challenges existing clinical practice recommendations by investigating moderate-to-vigorous
physical activity (MVPA), an innovative, clinically pragmatic rehabilitation strategy, as an efficacious approach to
treating post-concussion physiological disturbances. Leveraging resources and data from an NIH-funded parent
study (R01HD108133; enrollment goal: n=288), the project will identify important longitudinal relationships
between post-concussion MVPA and cerebrovascular recovery. The study will deliver precise MVPA-based
rehabilitative recommendations poised for immediate clinical implementation to facilitate recovery of concussion-
induced impairments in physiological system...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10996720
- **Project number:** 1F31HD116524-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER
- **Principal Investigator:** Mathew J Wingerson
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $38,714
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-07-16 → 2026-07-15

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10996720

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10996720, A novel approach to exercise as treatment for injury-induced impairments in cerebrovascular function among adolescents with concussion (1F31HD116524-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10996720. Licensed CC0.

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