Participation in an Innovative Partnership for mTBI -Predict: Baseline Variability Study (Mild Traumatic Brain Injury)

Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI - otherwise known as concussion) is common in UK civilian practice and was one of the "signature injuries" of Operation HERRICK - affecting almost 1:10 of those deployed in combat roles. Although termed "mild" this type of injury frequently leads to a disproportionate impact on future health with almost one third of those affected unable to work at 12 months - usually as a result of ongoing symptoms including persistent headaches, imbalance, memory disturbance, and poor mental health.

The UK TBI is a consortium of top expert opinion, led by the University of Birmingham. It includes acclaimed academics in the field of mTBI from Imperial College London, University of Nottingham, University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire and the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre, alongside those from the University of Birmingham and University Hospitals Birmingham.

The consortium has devised and written an extensive protocol for the mTBI-Predict trial which will assess the accuracy, reproducibility and practicality of a variety of biomarkers including brain imaging, Magnetoencephalography (MEG), cerebral physiology, markers in blood and saliva, headache, mental health, vision, balance, and cognitive performance in a long-term cohort study following 800 patients for 24 months after a new mTBI.