Design

As of March 2026, a total of 17 individuals entered the survey dataset and returned usable baseline and follow-up measurements within the first observation window (defined as a 'day zero NSI entry' and one 'day ~30 NSI entry'). Participants (Users) were given a 30 day Hero Protocol for free. 

Participants included individuals who were Veterans, Active duty, or high-functioning Civilians, with self-reported histories and/or confirmed clinical histories of:

• Concussion
• Traumatic brain injury
• Repeated head impacts
• Persistent post-concussive symptoms 

The requested observation period was 30 days, and while 80% of the participants met or exceeded 30 days, one user reporting at 16 days due to life changes, and another at 22 days - but both reported improvements. Interestingly, while most participants reported at ~30 days, 5 participants continuing symptom tracking beyond the initial period, with three users taking two months of protocol reporting their experiences around 50 days, one taking the protocol for six months and reported at 180 days, and another who has taken the protocol for nearly a year reporting their NSI notes out past 270 days. For the purpose of the survey, the average 30 day data between all users was the primary data source that generated the ~48% NSI self-reported score (see chart above.) 

Observational Findings

Across the initial observation window:

• Average cohort baseline NSI score start: 44.2
• Average cohort follow-up NSI score at 30 days: 22.9
• Average cohort improvement at 30 days: −21.3 points

This represents an average reduction of approximately 48% in reported symptom burden across the group during the initial observation period.

Most self reported changed symptoms: 

• Sleep Quality
• Headaches
• Cognitive Clarity 
• Stress / Emotional Management 
• Not measured but of interest is that half of the participants anecdotally reported a Return of Dreams, (indicating REM cycle).

The symptoms that appeared least likely to change were taste/smell, appetite, and certain sensory issues such as hearing difficulty and noise sensitivity.

Observed response patterns included:

• Large improvements (>50%) in several participants
• Moderate improvements (30–50%) in a majority of participants
• Minimal change (<10%) in one individual

Notably, no participants reported worsening total symptom scores in the primary or longitudinal observation window. 

Individual Variability

Substantial variability was observed between participants.

Examples of observed changes included:

• Reductions of 40–50% in symptom scores among multiple participants
• Reductions of 60–70% in several cases. 
• The cohort extremes were: 
• One participant reporting a reduction from 55 to 1, representing a 98% / 54pt decrease in symptom score; highest change in 30 days. 
• And another participant reported a reduction from 24 to 22, representing an 8% / 2pt decrease in symptom score; lowest change in 30 days.

These observations suggest that symptom trajectories may evolve over longer periods of use, though additional data collection is required to better understand these patterns.

Limitations

This observational dataset has several important limitations:

• Participation was voluntary and self-reported (A total of 32 people requested the Protocol, but 12 people did not submit initial NSI surveys, and were therefore excluded from the survey due to their lack of functional participation.) 
• The survey was not randomized or controlled
• Sample size remains small
• Participants had heterogeneous injury histories
• Additional factors such as sleep, lifestyle changes, adherance, and prior treatments were not controlled
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Because of these real world limitations, the findings, while promising, should be interpreted as descriptive and hypothesis generating observations rather than clinical evidence.

Next Steps

Data collection is ongoing and will become available as more participants contribute their voluntary symptom tracking information.

Future analysis will focus on:

• Expanding the participant dataset
• Longer-term symptom trajectories
• A more robust historical data set (injury histories, deployments, experiences, etc.)
• Voluntary Washout and Re-challenge (Several participant have asked (not at the request of The Hero Protocol) what their experiences might be when stopping the Protocol.) 
• A more robust statistical analysis of symptom changes
• A formal manuscript based on the observational dataset is currently being prepared for submission to a peer-reviewed journal.

Disclosure

This report summarizes preliminary observational survey data collected from individuals voluntarily tracking symptoms while using The Hero Protocol. The information presented here has not been peer-reviewed and should not be interpreted as medical advice or clinical evidence. Users = Participants. Users have volunteered their data freely and are self-designing their own explorations, such as the washout/rechallenge concept. 

FTC disclaimer: Participants recieved their first 30 day Protocols for free and were permitted to cease the survey at any time with no obligation. 

The Hero Protocol is a nutritional supplement and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.