# Subtle Motor Functioning and Functional Connectivity in Youth Medically Cleared after Mild TBI

> **NIH NIH R01** · HUGO W. MOSER RES INST KENNEDY KRIEGER · 2020 · $802,053

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Youth mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI, concussion) is a public health problem in the United States. Youth are
felt to be particularly at risk for adverse outcomes from additive injury during recovery from mTBI. Thus, a
critical aspect of care is determining when a child has recovered from mTBI such that a child can be medically
cleared to return to sports and other high risk recreational activities without increased risk for adverse short- or
long-term outcomes. While mTBI is defined as a physiological brain injury, current clinical measures for
determining medical clearance to return to play after mTBI are not directly tried to brain physiology. The overall
goal of this project is to evaluate markers of brain physiology in youth medically cleared to return to play after
mTBI and how these markers relate to adverse events over the year following medical clearance. Specifically,
we will investigate whether youth who have been medically cleared from mTBI by experts using the current
gold-standard of clinical assessments show more subtle motor signs and/or anomalous functional brain
connectivity compared to peers who have never had a mTBI and how long these findings persist. We will also
evaluate whether motor and imaging findings predict rate of re-injury (musculoskeletal or mTBI) or clinically
significant changes in emotional or cognitive functioning or health-related quality of life over the year following
medical clearance. The aims of this project are to 1) evaluate whether youth medically cleared after mTBI
show more subtle motor signs on a clinically-feasible measure at medical clearance and 3 and 12 months later,
2) evaluate for between-group differences in functional connectivity of resting state (default mode and dorsal
attention) networks with premotor and motor brain regions at medical clearance and 3 and 12 months later, 3)
determine if subtle motor signs are associated with functional brain connectivity in youth medically cleared after
mTBI, and 4) evaluate the relationship between motor and imaging findings and occurrence of adverse events
over the year following medical clearance. We will evaluate 70 youth aged 10-17 within 3 weeks of being
medically cleared as recovered from mTBI and will re-evaluate the same youth 3 and 12 months later. We will
similarly evaluate 70 age- and sex-matched youth who have never had a mTBI at three time points, baseline
and 3 and 12 months later. At each time point we will compare groups with respect to motor subtle signs and
functional connectivity of the dorsal attention network and default mode network with premotor and primary
motor regions in the brain, both at rest and during a motor task. We will evaluate whether anomalous
functional connectivity patterns in the mTBI group are associated with the presence of subtle motor signs.
Lastly, we evaluate the relationship between motor and imaging findings and occurrence of re-injury or
clinically significant change in functioning over ...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9848613
- **Project number:** 5R01HD090266-03
- **Recipient organization:** HUGO W. MOSER RES INST KENNEDY KRIEGER
- **Principal Investigator:** Stacy Jennifer Marcus Suskauer
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $802,053
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-02-13 → 2023-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9848613

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9848613, Subtle Motor Functioning and Functional Connectivity in Youth Medically Cleared after Mild TBI (5R01HD090266-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9848613. Licensed CC0.

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