Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Pediatric Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Starting soon · Not applicable · Has a placebo group

Conditions studied: Concussions, Mild Traumatic Brain Injury, Concussion, Concussion Mild

In brief

Formal MBIs, such as Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), have been shown to increase resiliency and teach affect regulation. However, these formal interventions may not be suitable for acutely concussed youth as they are costly, not easily accessible (trained therapists are needed), and require commitment from parents and children for in-person weekly meetings and at-home practice of learned skills for 8 to 16 weeks. Further, MBSR programs may not be readily accessible immediately after a concussion. With the increasing use of mobile phones and tablets in youth, mobile health offers a powerful platform for mental health interventions. Advantages of app-based interventions include constant availability, greater access, tailored content, lower cost, immediate delivery, and increased service capacity and efficiency. Therefore, the anticipated benefit is to show the efficacy of a pragmatic and low-cost intervention and reduce barriers to care through a novel, innovative and accessible MBI treatment program. This will have both a benefit to public health and expand our understanding of the impact of MBIs on pediatric recovery.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT07272941

Run by

Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario

People needed

362

Starts

2026-05-01

Expected to finish

2029-12-01

Last updated by the study team

2026-03-18

Who can join

Age: 12 and older, up to 18. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Participants presenting to five PERC EDs after sustaining a direct or indirect head injury
• Aged 12 through 17.99 years
• Diagnosed with a definite or suspected concussion, defined by the American College of Rehabilitation Medicine definition
• Score ≥6 on the 5P rule
• Suffered the index injury in the previous 48 hours
• Proficient in English or French

You may not qualify if…

• Glasgow Coma Scale ≤13
• Abnormality on standard neuroimaging studies, including positive head CT findings (Note: neuroimaging is not required, but may be performed if clinically indicated)
• Neurosurgical operative intervention, intubation or intensive care required
• Multi-system injuries with treatment requiring hospital admission, operating room or procedural sedation in ED (Note: hospital admission for observation or management of ongoing concussion symptoms is not an exclusion criteria)
• Severe neurological developmental delay resulting in communication difficulties
• Intellectual disability/mental retardation, autism spectrum disorder (history of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, learning disability, or Tourette's syndrome is not an exclusion)
• Intoxication at the time of ED presentation as per clinician judgment
• No clear history of trauma as primary events (e.g., seizure, syncope or migraine)
• Prior psychiatric hospitalization
• Prior diagnosis of severe psychiatric disorder such as schizophrenia (diagnosis of anxiety or depression are not exclusionary)
• Inability to obtain a proper written informed consent/assent (language barrier, absence of parental authority, developmental delay, intoxication, patient too confused to consent, etc.)
• Legal guardian not present (certain forms need be completed by parents/legal guardians)
• No internet or mobile/tablet access.
• Previously enrolled in phase 1 or phase 2 of the feasibility trial or the efficacy trial.

Where it is running

• Stollery Children's Hospital — Edmonton, Ontario, Canada
• Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario — Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
• The Hospital of Sick Children (SickKids) — Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• BC Children's Hospital — Vancouver, Ontario, Canada
• Montreal Children's Hospital — Montreal, Canada

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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