Our research

There are a series of projects underway looking at the knowledge, attitudes and behaviour towards concussion in secondary school athletes, parents, coaches, referees, physiotherapists and GPs. This work covers specific sports such as rugby, cycling and equestrian activities. These studies will help us to determine what people already know about concussion and to identify areas where educational interventions need to focus on to address gaps in knowledge or change behaviour.

This is an area where more research is urgently needed. TBI is highly preventable. We need to look at how injuries occur and identify ways we can prevent injuries happening in the future. We are currently designing some projects to look specifically at injury prevention.

Contact us if you'd like to get involved in this work.

Identifying a brain injury or concussion is not as simple as it sounds. It is an ‘invisible’ injury and signs and symptoms often do not show up for a few hours or days later. Injuries can also be missed because the person has sustained multiple injuries that require urgent medical attention such as broken bones or internal bleeding.

There are a number of studies underway by members of the network looking at how we can assess whether a person has suffered a concussion during a game/match, looking at whether a person's balance has been affected, ways of finding out whether symptoms are directly related to the injury or influenced by another cause. We are also looking at whether we can determine if someone has had a brain injury through their saliva or by a blood test or objective measurement tool such as a mouthguard or sensor on a helmet.

With so many people affected by TBI or concussion in NZ we need to find out the best way to treat them to ensure that they recover as quickly as possible. We currently have little evidence about what the best treatment is. Services can differ a lot in the approaches that they use.

Our members are looking at a number of different treatments or interventions to help people with their recovery and improve longer term wellbeing. Approaches under investigation include reviewing medication use after injury, testing an early intervention to reduce symptoms as well as an intervention to help cope with symptoms in the longer term, having a peer mentor (being put in touch with someone who has been through a similar experience), the role of exercise and nutrition in recovery, as well as other novel treatments such as the use of near infra-red light frequencies, herbal remedies or omega 3.

We are investigating the effectiveness of treatments within different contexts such as in sports, concussion clinics, in the prison service and in the general community.

No two people present the same way, even if their injuries appear to be very similar. It is therefore important to understand whether there are any factors that may indicate who is more or less likely to have continued problems after an injury so that we can then intervene early.

Our researchers are currently looking at whether our genes, physical responses to injury, the way we think, the support we have and particular tests or scans can help identify people likely to need more support early. Our researchers are using both traditional mathematical approaches as well as computer generated models to identify potential early predictors of recovery. Differences by gender are also being explored.

We have only uncovered the tip of the iceberg in understanding the potential possible impacts of brain injury. Our researchers are looking at a wide range of possible impacts both in the long and short term.

Studies are currently looking at the long-term impacts of contact sports on people’s general health and wellbeing, how the brain functions after injury, whether there are any long term impacts on how we feel, how people think and interact with others and behave, the impact on children’s development and learning, whether an early brain injury is linked to later anti-social behaviour, risk of developing medical conditions, potential impacts on our sensory system (such as taste and smell), sleep patterns as well as things such as balance and risk of sustaining another brain injury.

We are also aware that the impact of brain injuries can extend well beyond the person themselves, and we are looking at understanding the impact on others to ensure they receive the support they need as well.

It can often take a long time for research to lead to changes in every day life. We aim to tackle this directly and have a more immediate impact. We are dedicated to finding new creative ways of making research more readily available. We believe that by working with service providers, patients and policymakers early in research that we can then deliver research that meets a need, is useful and makes a difference.

One example of this is a website that contains information and composite stories (made up from a collection of people’s true stories) about living life after a TBI to help people to understand what it is really like.