3.3 AUS-mTBI: Leveraging digital technology to predict outcomes after mild traumatic brain injury
Tracks
Crown Ballroom 3B
| Thursday, October 23, 2025 |
| 11:40 AM - 12:10 PM |
| Crown Ballroom 3B |
Details
Format: Academic or scientific verbal presentation (30-minute)
Speaker
Sarah Hellewell
Curtin University
AUS-mTBI: Leveraging digital technology to predict outcomes after mild traumatic brain injury
11:40 AM - 12:10 PMAbstract Overview
Each year, at least 180,000 Australians experience a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), commonly referred to as concussion. While most people recover within days or weeks, many continue to experience debilitating symptoms for months or years after injury. People in rural and remote areas often face additional barriers to timely diagnosis and care after mTBI, creating potential healthcare inequities. The management of mTBI is further complicated by a limited ability to predict those at risk of delayed recovery.
The AUS-mTBI study uses the HeadCheck app to collect health information, track symptoms and monitor recovery after mTBI across at regular time points after injury until symptom resolution. The app will also deliver personalised, evidence-based recovery programs tailored to each participant's symptoms for the first 28 days. Machine learning analysis will be used to identify the key predictors of recovery for people after mTBI.
AUS-mTBI within HeadCheck was launched on 31 July 2024, with recruitment ongoing. To date, 275 people have joined the study, with nearly one-third residing in regional and remote areas of Australia. AUS-mTBI is integrating clinical best practice, digital health innovation, and patient-reported outcomes to improve our understanding of recovery and care following mTBI for all Australians.
The AUS-mTBI study uses the HeadCheck app to collect health information, track symptoms and monitor recovery after mTBI across at regular time points after injury until symptom resolution. The app will also deliver personalised, evidence-based recovery programs tailored to each participant's symptoms for the first 28 days. Machine learning analysis will be used to identify the key predictors of recovery for people after mTBI.
AUS-mTBI within HeadCheck was launched on 31 July 2024, with recruitment ongoing. To date, 275 people have joined the study, with nearly one-third residing in regional and remote areas of Australia. AUS-mTBI is integrating clinical best practice, digital health innovation, and patient-reported outcomes to improve our understanding of recovery and care following mTBI for all Australians.
Biography
Dr Sarah Hellewell is a Senior Research Fellow in Neurotrauma and Stan Perron People Fellow at Curtin University and the Perron Institute in Perth, where she is deputy lead of the Neurotrauma research group and leads a team of 17 researchers. Per expertscape.com, she is the top-ranked expert in traumatic brain injury in Western Australia and in the top 0.4% of experts worldwide. Her research spans sub-concussive to severe brain injury in the general population, athletes and military personnel. She uses multimodal MRI, fluid biomarkers and functional tests to understand how traumatic brain injury can alter brain structure and function, and how this translates to cognitive and neuropsychological outcomes. She runs several clinical and preclinical projects to translate findings bench to bedside and back again.
