Determining whether traumatic brain injuries can lead to an increased risk of developing MND.
Principal Investigator: Professor William Stewart
Lead Institution: University of Glasgow
MND Association Funding: £15,000*
Funding dates: May 2023 - April 2024
*In partnership with MND Scotland and My Name'5 Doddie Foundation
About the project
This project aims to determine if traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), including those that may occur in sport, can lead to an increased risk of developing MND. There have been several studies investigating the association between TBIs and MND. While some of these have suggested an association, they cannot confirm if the association found is directly due to the TBI or other factors. Almost 4 million existing and anonymised electronic health records from a UK population database will be analysed to understand whether there is a direct relationship between TBI and MND.
What could this mean for MND research?
Professor Stewart and team are looking to see if traumatic brain injury could be identified as a risk factor for MND. Understanding more about the factors that increase someone’s risk of developing MND, could help identify strategies to reduce this risk.
Resources
Project code: 899-791
