Concussion, affecting approximately 400,000 Canadians annually, has long been a focus in professional sports and military spheres, leaving a gap in research for the broader patient spectrum. In a pioneering move, a $5.4 million research initiative, the TRANSCENDENT program, spearheaded by the CHEO Research Institute, 360 Concussion Care, and the Ontario Brain Institute (OBI), seeks to transform global concussion care.
Led by Dr. Roger Zemek, a renowned expert in the field, the program aims to bridge crucial research gaps by creating one of the world’s largest concussion databases. The initiative will collect comprehensive data across various patient demographics and injury types within 360 Concussion’s integrated healthcare system.
TRANSCENDENT’s focus extends beyond professional athletes, encompassing patients across diverse demographics and injury types. The team will leverage cutting-edge assessments, including advanced neuroimaging, physiological evaluations, and fluid biomarkers, to pinpoint precise indicators for tracking concussion recovery. The goal is to revolutionize diagnosis, treatment, and management for patients of all backgrounds and ages.
This research initiative will make its extensive datasets available on the OBI’s collaborative research platform, Brain-CODE. The intention is to foster international collaborations and facilitate data-sharing, maximizing the potential for groundbreaking discoveries.
Dr. Zemek, Clinical Research Chair in Pediatric Concussion at the University of Ottawa, expresses excitement at the potential global impact of the program. “Our goal is to pave the way for personalized care, tailoring treatments based on individual biological markers for optimized outcomes,” says Dr. Zemek.
Beyond its medical implications, TRANSCENDENT’s data registry is expected to drive economic activity by providing a platform for industry innovation. It aims to foster collaborations and facilitate studies to accelerate breakthroughs in brain health.
The program, headquartered in Ottawa, aspires to redefine concussion care, catalyzing partnerships and leveraging data to drive real-world effectiveness studies and advance discoveries in brain health.
