Northern Illinois University
Human Auditory Physiology Lab (HAPL)
Allied Health and Communicative Disorders

How head impacts affect brain's ability to process auditory information

Purpose

The purpose of the study is to help scientists better understand how repeated head impacts affect the brain’s ability to process auditory information.  

Who is eligible to participate?

We are looking for athletes who take part in both contact and non-contact sports. Athletes must meet the following requirements:

• 4-35 years old
• Normal Hearing
• Male or Female
• Right or left-handed
• Native speaker of English
• No dreadlocks
• No history of drug/alcohol dependency
• No history of ADD/ADHD, learning disabilities, etc.
• No history of depression or anxiety
• Non-contact athletes cannot have a history of concussion(s) or playing contact sports.
• Contact sports athletes may or may not have a history of concussion(s).

What will an athlete do during the study?

The study consists of a brief medical case history, testing of the athlete’s hearing, testing of the athlete’s attention, memory, and reaction time, and measuring the electrical output of the athlete’s brain under a variety of conditions using tiny electrodes that are placed on the scalp                                                                               

How long will the study take?

There are three, two-hour sessions, spread out across a number of weeks. To participate, an athlete must be actively involved in their sport at the time of the study. The ideal timeline would be:

• First session: beginning of the sport’s season, ideally prior to any practice or contact drills
• Second session: either: 1) in the middle of the season or 2) if a concussion occurs during the season, no more than 7 days after their initial diagnosis
• Third session: No more than 3 weeks after the conclusion of the season

Participation is voluntary and athletes may withdraw at any time.

What will an athlete receive for participating?

Compensation of $75 will be given to athletes who participate. Additionally, if an athlete is coming from greater than 40 miles to the clinic, a one-time payment of $40 will be given for mileage reimbursement. Payment will be dispersed upon completion of the entire study (all three sessions).

Once the study has concluded, all individuals who participate will receive a copy of their test results.   

Why is the study important?

Results of this study may help doctors better understand the effects of concussions so that new prevention, assessment and treatment options can be explored within the area of sports-related brain injury.

Will other individuals (coaches, athletic trainers, primary care providers) find out about participation or have access to the information collected during the study?

No, all participants are assigned a unique identifier and no personal information is used for purposes of identification for any reason. Only the unique identifier appears on paperwork associated with the study and only the researchers have access to the information. In addition, participation status is kept confidential so coaches, athletic trainers, and primary care providers won’t know about participation unless notified by you.

Can participation in the study take the place of a concussion management protocol?

No, the study is not meant to act as a replacement for pre-determined concussion management protocols. As the information collected is meant for research purposes only, at this point, it cannot be used during the diagnosis or treatment of a concussion. We expect that athletes will continue to be monitored by a certified athletic trainer or healthcare professional should they sustain a concussion during the study.

However, as part of our study protocol, we would like to examine Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Test (ImPACT) scores in conjunction with the study measures. Fortunately, ImPACT testing is already included as part of the standard operating procedure for many athletes who participate in organized sports.  Therefore, if your organization uses ImPACT, we would like to request full access to this data. A clause in the informed consent will allow the athlete to grant us permission to use the data.

Who do I contact if I have questions or if my athlete would like to participate?

If you have any questions or if your child/ward would like to participate, please contact me by phone or email.  My phone number is 815-753-7366 and my email address is mwilson@niu.edu. Please mention “Concussion Study” when calling or emailing.  Please also note that I cannot guarantee the confidentiality of information sent by email.

If you want further information regarding your rights or your child/ward’s rights as a research participant, you may contact the Office of Research Compliance at Northern Illinois University at 815-753-8588.

Thank you in advance for your help!

Matt Wilson, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Northern Illinois University
School of Allied Health and Communicative Disorders