We are excited to announce that a new grant has been awarded for ADVANCE to look at the effects of traumatic brain injury (TBI) on brain health in our participants.
The ‘ADVANCE TBI’ study is funded by the ADVANCE Charity, thanks to a generous grant received from the Headley Court Charity. The study is led by Professor David Sharp from Imperial College London, and his team will be using state-of-the-art techniques to look at long-term brain health. Professor Sharp commented: ‘We are excited to be leading this new ADVANCE TBI study, and we hope that the results will inform disease prevention in the future, in both military and civilian settings, as well as assist in the early diagnosis of neurodegenerative disease.’
With this study we aim to develop a better understanding of:
- How common traumatic brain damage is within the ADVANCE cohort, and how it relates to the number and type of head injuries.
- Whether participants with TBI develop neurological or psychological problems over time.
- Whether early changes of dementia are detectable in the participants with evidence of previous TBI (using advanced brain scanning and blood test analysis).
Having a better understanding of all these factors will help us develop new preventative treatments in high risk groups. By the end of 2021 we aim to offer eligible ADVANCE participants the chance to take part in the TBI study as part of their usual follow-up visits. The assessments will include MRI scans of the brain as well as computerised cognitive assessments, and all tests will be done at Stanford Hall.