The Department of Defense (DoD) has awarded $731,980 for a three-year research project entitled “A Data-Driven Approach to Individualized Concussion Risk Prediction in US Service Academy Cadets and Midshipmen.” This project is led by University of Michigan (U-M) Concussion Center members Dr. James Eckner and Dr. Mariel Lavieri, whose home departments are Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) at Michigan Medicine and Industrial & Operations Engineering (IOE) at Michigan Engineering. The success of this multidisciplinary grant application was supported by Mr. Hossam Abouzahr from U-M’s E-Health & Artificial Intelligence (e-HAIL), whose mission is to make U-M a premier hub for AI and health and improve health outcomes through technology.

Through collaborative efforts, the research team will develop predictive tools to identify cadets and midshipmen from US Service Academies at the highest risk for sustaining concussions based on baseline information. The project’s major goals include optimizing risk prediction models using pre-season baseline data and comparing the models’ predictive abilities across different years. This initiative is crucial for military cadets and midshipmen, who are at significant risk of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) or concussion. 

“Concussion is a common occurrence among our military personnel, and the findings from this research project will have implications for the population at large. As healthcare providers who routinely treat patients with concussion and brain injuries, the department of PM&R is excited about this project, and Drs. Eckner and Lavieri’s success,” said Dr. Nitin Jian, Chair, Department of PM&R, Michigan Medicine.

Concussions account for over 80% of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) in military personnel, highlighting the critical need for effective identification, prevention, and management strategies. These injuries, often sustained during non-combat activities, post significant short and long-term health risks, impacting cognitive and physical function and potentially leading to chronic conditions in service members and veterans.  

Leveraging the existing NCAA-DoD CARE Consortium database, which includes baseline assessments in over 17,600 Service Academy cadets and midshipmen across 4 U.S. Service Academies, Dr. Eckner and Dr. Lavieri’s research promises to advance the understanding of concussion risks and improve preventative strategies, ultimately benefiting both military and civilian populations engaged in high-risk activities like athletics. “We are excited to harness the richness of the NCAA-DoD CARE Consortium database in parameterizing, calibrating, and validating our models. This will enable us, as a multidisciplinary team, to tackle this important problem faced by our military personnel,” said Dr. Lavieri, Associate Professor of Industrial and Operations Engineering.

The award secures the necessary funding to push forward this vital research and bring about meaningful improvement in concussion prevention and management. 

“This research is important because the ability to prospectively identify individuals at elevated risk for concussion will allow opportunities for more targeted concussion prevention, education, and surveillance efforts in those at greatest risk. In addition to this project focusing on cadets and midshipmen from the US Service Academies, we are also interested in expanding to conduct a similar study in civilian athletes as well,” said Dr. James Eckner, Associate Professor from the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation.