The Ivy League – Big Ten Epidemiology of Concussion Study is a multi-institutional research effort whose mission is to better understand the causes and effects of sport-related concussion and head injuries.
Researchers and athletic clinicians within the Big Ten, the Big Ten Academic Alliance, and the Ivy League have a unique opportunity to be at the forefront of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and sports concussion research to better inform biomedical and behavioral science, enhance clinical practice, and benefit the nation’s citizens and soldiers through innovative research that enhances the prevention, detection, and treatment of TBI.
In June 2012, the Big Ten, the Big Ten Academic Alliance, and the Ivy League joined forces in an effort to better assess these injuries from a physical and behavioral standpoint, and to improve athlete education and welfare. Through a commitment to broad-based programming for over 18,000 combined student athletes, these two prestigious academic and athletic entities have a unique opportunity to be national leaders at the forefront of significant change. This collaborative effort will provide a broad population sample from which to obtain meaningful data on the incidence of head injuries in young adults, and will allow for the potential of longitudinal examinations into the health impact of head injuries as student-athletes transition into professional careers both on and off the field. Through a shared vision of student-athlete well-being, this effort reinforces and serves as a positive representation of the position of intercollegiate athletics within the higher education model.
Since its inception, the study has collected data on over 3,000 concussion cases with a level of high granularity and detail – from how the injury occurred, to what equipment was worn during the injury, to the follow-up symptomatology and symptom resolution.
Principal Investigator: Doug Wiebe, PhD, dwiebe@upenn.edu