Overview
The CSI Study (Concussion Assessment, Research and Education Service Academy Longitudinal mTBI Outcomes Study Integrated) is a longitudinal research program examining long-term brain health in military service members and collegiate student athletes. The study builds on over a decade of CARE Consortium work to better understand sports-related concussions among varsity athletes including students at the four Military Service Academies.
Key Facts
- Phase 1: Focused on acute injuries — studying what happens in hours, days, and months after concussion; helped shape international framework for classifying traumatic brain injury
- Phase 2 (current): Breaking new ground by examining changes multiple months or years later to identify early warning signs of long-term problems
- Cohort size: 500 military service members and former collegiate student athletes with the most robust and well-characterized concussion cohort ever collected
- Expected results: October 2025
Methodology
The study tests biomarkers — measurable signals in blood and/or imaging — that may reveal how the brain responds to concussions, repeated head impacts, and other health risk factors. Analysis includes:
- Advanced MRI scans (CARE MRI integrating multimodal imaging biomarkers of changes in brain structure and function)
- PET (positron emission tomography) imaging
- Blood-based markers showing inflammation or damage long before symptoms appear
- Cognitive assessments
- Genetic testing
Research Goals
The overarching goal is to combine brain scans, blood tests, genetics, and cognitive assessments into a single risk scale. A prototype model — the Alzheimer's Disease Relative-Risk and Resilience Scale — could identify individuals at higher risk of brain-related conditions like Alzheimer's disease, even decades before they show signs of memory loss.
Key Personnel
- Dr. Michael McCrea: Co-principal investigator of CSI Study; professor of neurosurgery at the Medical College of Wisconsin
- Ms. Kathy Lee: Director of Warfighter Brain Health Policy, Office of the Secretary of War for Health Affairs
Strategic Implications
Early results are promising — some markers remain elevated long after injury, suggesting they could play a role in tracking recovery and predicting outcomes. The research aims to reshape how doctors, coaches, and commanders think about brain health by detecting earliest signals that may predict who is at greater risk for long-term problems.
Related Programs
- CARE Consortium (Concussion Assessment, Research and Education)
- NCAA-DoD Grand Alliance
- Cure Alzheimer's Fund partnership
- Bright Focus Foundation support
- Warfighter Brain Health Hub initiatives