RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Ryan Zaman
Independent Research
2018-2019

Title:​ The “Impossible” Cure to a Concussion

Overview of Research:
The goal of this research is to find a cure for a concussion through the use of either
technology or medicine. The research will consist of looking through older research of studies
where young athletes have suffered a concussion and were attempted to be treated by technology
or medicine. That research will then be analyzed to see how effective the attempted treatment
was by looking at the athlete’s cognitive performance, motor skills, and memory capability
before and after the treatment. The issue is to find a method that works along with it working in a
short time frame of about 10 days.

Background/Rationale:
The amount of people suffering from concussions is increasing rapidly nowadays,
especially in young athletes. Such a serious injury, caused by a sudden strike or jolt to the head
that causes the brain to move around rapidly and change the chemicals in the brain, is affecting
millions of young lives every year. This injury lowers one’s cognitive and memory performance,
changes the way one acts, and can even lead to death so it is essential a cure is made as there is
no cure for such a drastic injury.
As this injury is affecting more people now, it is imperative something be done about this
time costly injury as its effects can last for up to a year. The injury can also affect the lives of
children very negatively, as their academic performances are lowered, which could potentially be
a huge downfall for their futures as it will be hard for the student athletes to keep their grades up,
go to a good college, and get a good job from there. The injury can also lead to other
psychological problems making it even more serious. All of these negative changes in someone’s
life who has suffered a concussion need to have a cure to make them going away, which is the
goal of this research.

Sources:
● Woollaston, Victoria. "This Drug Could Boost Your Memory after a Single Dose."
​Wired​, 28 June 2016, www.wired.co.uk/article/
methylene-blue-memory-loss-cure. Accessed 6 Jan. 2019.
● Mayo Clinic Staff. "Post Concussion Syndrome." ​Mayoclinic​, 28 July 2017,
www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/post-concussion-syndrome/
diagnosis-treatment/drc-20353357. Accessed 6 Jan. 2019.
● "Facts about Concussion and Brain Injury." ​Brainline​, 17 Nov. 2017,
 www.brainline.org/article/facts-about-concussion-and-brain-injury. Accessed
6 Jan. 2019.
● Murray, Elizabeth. "Teens Playing through Pain, Not Taking Sports Injuries
Seriously, Says Study." ​Today​, 14 Oct. 2016, www.today.com/health/
teens-playing-through-pain-not-taking-sports-injuries-seriously-says-1D80274256.
Accessed 6 Jan. 2019.
● Staff, Mayo Clinic. "Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation." ​Mayoclinic​, 29 Dec.
2017, www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/transcranial-magnetic-stimulation/
about/pac-20384625. Accessed 6 Jan. 2019.
● "Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation." ​Johns Hopkins Medicine​,
www.hopkinsmedicine.org/psychiatry/specialty_areas/brain_stimulation/tdcs.html.
Accessed 6 Jan. 2019.

Research Methodology:
Research Question:
How can we use technology or medicine to heal concussions within 10 days in a way that
people suffering from it can go back to doing all their everyday activities?

Hypothesis:
A concussion be cured by a mix of memory enhancing and pain relieving medicine or by
a modification of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation or Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
that is targeted to cure a concussion.

A concussion should be treated like any other injury meaning there should be some way
to cure it like technology or medicine instead of resting for a long period of time when receiving
one. A combination of memory enhancing and pain relieving medicine could co-work to combat
the cognitive and painful effects from a concussion allowing one to resume normal activities
TMS and TDCS have been proven to increase brain activity depending on the area of the brain
targeted, meaning there is a very big possibility these procedures can be used to target the areas
of the brain affected from a concussion and cure the effects of a concussion themselves.

Research Design Model:

A causal-comparative research design approach will be taken because as I am not able to
talk to many medical specialists and test the products to cure a concussion with patients, I will
have to look at studies where these products have been used on people and make my claims
based on those already conducted studies. The independent variables are the products/procedures
aimed at curing the concussion. These products/procedures are the mixture of medicine,
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, and Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation. The medicine
will contain a mixture of memory enhancing and pain relieving medicine that will co-work to
relieve the effects of a concussion. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation is a process that transmits
electromagnetic pulses to your brain to stimulate brain cells. Transcranial Direct Current
Stimulation is a procedure that uses electric currents to stimulate specific areas of the brain the
user wants to stimulate. The dependent variables are the student athletes’ cognitive ability and
athletic ability, and ability to function. Cognitive ability will be measured by how well the
student athlete can memorize things, complete academic tasks, and other tasks that require the
student to use his or her brain. Athletic ability will be measured by how the athlete feels while
playing sports after he or she has used the product. If the athlete feels they are performing as they
usually would, the athletic ability will be a higher measurement. As for how the ability to
function will be measured, it will be measured by how well one can do everyday tasks.
Quantitative research will be done off of observations.
Data Collection:
Documents, of studies done using these products/procedures, will be analyzed and
examined to see recurring trends related to the curing of a concussion. I chose this method
because I can not conduct experiments in a lab myself so I must see what has already been done.
Summaries of these documents will be written to keep track of the main idea and results of each
study.
This method of research and data collection will be primary because I will be adding on
to what already exists, therefore making it new. I will either come up with new conclusions from
already existing data or come up with new ideas to try to cure a concussion. My work is related
to the literature sources as they are the material my research is being based off to further new
ideas in the field.

Product Objectives:
The product will be a procedure that stimulates brain cells in a way that the symptoms of
a concussion are cured or the product will be a mixture of medicine that cures the symptoms of a
concussion. The procedures can be done at doctors offices, which is the place the medicine
mixture will be accessible, with a doctor’s prescription. These are good products as they are very
easily accessible to the majority of people.
The audience for this research will be doctors, students, athletes, and pharmacists because
the study has parts that relate to each person’s field/ daily life activities. The procedure/products
will be sold at pharmacies, or accessible at a doctor’s office.

Logistical Considerations:
School computers, internet, and access to databases/studies will be required for this
project. The products will require access to medicine and highly advanced technology so it is
important to note I can only research studies that have used these products as I do not have
access to them.
In third quarter, a timeline will be created that contains a set schedule to collect data,
improve the product, and come up with a presentation for an audience.
Approval:

__________________ _______________________ ______________________

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