Titulo Estágio
Design and Development of MindSport: A Mobile Application for the Prevention, Diagnosis, and Management of Sports-Related Concussions
Áreas de especialidade
Engenharia de Software
Local do Estágio
DEI
Enquadramento
Sports-related concussions (SRCs) have become a major public health concern due to their frequency and the potential for long-term neurological damage. These injuries affect athletes across all levels of competition, and improper management can lead to chronic issues such as post-concussion syndrome and neurodegenerative conditions. While validated protocols exist for SRC prevention and assessment, therapeutic strategies remain underdeveloped, and no scientifically proven treatment currently shortens the number of days before an athlete can safely return to play (RTP). Additionally, there is no fully reliable method to assess when an athlete is ready to resume sports activity.
Injury prevention programs like ACTIVATE and FIFA11+ have demonstrated success in reducing SRC incidence. These initiatives work by improving neuromuscular control and addressing risk factors for head trauma. Reliable SRC diagnosis relies on a combination of clinical tools and objective measures. The Sport Concussion Assessment Tool 6 (SCAT6) is widely used as the standard for evaluating acute concussion symptoms. Other tools, such as the Vestibular Ocular Motor Screening (VOMS), focus on identifying vestibular dysfunction and tracking subjective symptoms. Complementary assessments like the King-Devick Test and imaging techniques are also gaining traction for their ability to provide a more comprehensive evaluation.
Proper rehabilitation is essential to ensure a safe return to play. Structured guidelines such as the Concussion Graduated Return to Play (GRTP) protocol offer phased recovery plans, while cervicovestibular rehabilitation addresses common post-concussion symptoms like dizziness and neck pain. Additionally, innovative treatments such as photobiomodulation therapy are showing promise in accelerating recovery by promoting cellular repair, offering potential benefits when used alongside or instead of traditional gradual RTP approaches.
Mobile applications are increasingly recognized for their potential to improve healthcare delivery by offering accessible, scalable solutions. In this context, a mobile app called MindSport will be developed to support the prevention, assessment, and management of SRCs. The app aims to consolidate multiple evidence-based measures into a single platform, reducing the physical, social, financial, and long-term health impacts of concussions.
MindSport will address the full SRC lifecycle through its integrated features. For prevention, it will include injury prevention exercise programs such as ACTIVATE and FIFA11+, which have been shown to reduce concussion rates by improving body control and stability. For assessment, the app will integrate tools like SCAT6 and the World Rugby Head Injury Assessment (HIA) to provide a thorough, standardized method for evaluating concussions. It will also include options for Vestibular Ocular Motor Screening (VOMS), the Buffalo Concussion Treadmill Test (BCTT), the Balance Error Scoring System, the King-Devick Test, neurocognitive assessments, real-time symptom tracking, and the ability to upload or view imaging reports.
In terms of rehabilitation and return to play, MindSport will incorporate the Concussion Graduated Return to Play (GRTP) protocol, cervicovestibular rehabilitation exercises, and the possibility of including novel therapeutic strategies like photobiomodulation, allowing for personalized rehabilitation pathways. The app will be available in both Portuguese and English, ensuring broad accessibility.
The main goal of MindSport is to serve as a comprehensive tool for SRC management, combining prevention strategies, diagnostic assessments, and rehabilitation protocols into a user-friendly mobile solution. It is designed to be used by athletes, coaches, and healthcare professionals, promoting informed decisions and safer recovery pathways. By leveraging mobile technology and clinical expertise, MindSport represents a forward-thinking approach to managing sports-related concussions, helping to protect the health and careers of athletes across all sports and competition levels.
Objetivo
The learning objectives of this master internship are:
1. Experience in design and development following a software engineering process
2. Acquire competences in planning and architecting a modularized solution that integrates with multiple systems
3. Experience in mobile architectures and development
Plano de Trabalhos - Semestre 1
[08/09/2025 a 19/10/2025] Literature review
Study the concepts to be used in the internship, namely software development, with a focus on requirements and architecture, and mobile development technologies
[20/10/2025 a 30/11/2025] Definition of development process
Design and plan the solution that will be used for the development of MindSport App. This includes planning and defining the various stages, from software requirements, architecture, tests, and tools. Special attention will be given to analyzing the regulatory frameworks and compliance requirements applicable to the development and deployment of the application.
[01/12/2025 a --/01/2026] Write the dissertation plan
Plano de Trabalhos - Semestre 2
Set up required infrastructure
Set up the necessary plataforms and infrastructure to support the development. This requires configuring and setting up both a mobile development framework and server.
[09/03/2026 a 19/04/2026] Develop the MindSport App
Develop the application based on the functional and non-functional requirements. An agile-based methodology will be used to have shorter development increments integrating tests throughout the process.
[20/04/2026 a 10/05/2026] Evaluate the application and improve based on used feedback
An initial Minimum Viable Product (MVP) will be developed to gather early feedback from target users and stakeholders, guiding subsequent iterations of the app.
[11/05/2026 a --/06/2026] Write the thesis.
Condições
The work is to be executed at the laboratories of the CISUC’s Software and Systems Engineering Group and Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra. A workplace will be provided as well as the necessary computational resources. The Faculty of Medicine will ensure compliance with all ethical requirements arising from the involvement of human participants.
Observações
Tese co-orientada por Tiago Cruz e Carlos Braga (FMUC)
Orientador
Joao Campos
jrcampos@dei.uc.pt 📩