‘Portland Press Herald’ reports on concussion research at UNE
The Portland Press Herald published a front-page article on pioneering head impact research conducted by John Rosene, D.P.E., A.T.C., C.S.C.S., ACSM EP-C, visiting faculty in the Department of Exercise and Sport Performance and Paul Visich, Ph.D., M.P.H., ACSM C-CEP, professor and chair of the Department of Exercise and Sport Performance.
Over the course of the spring 2016 season, approximately 20 athletes from the men's lacrosse team volunteered to wear headbands with impact-motion sensors during practices and home games. The sensors track several variables, including the magnitude of head impacts, the directional vector of the hit and the frequency of hits. While the sensors cannot indicate whether a concussion has taken place, they show the severity of the collision.
Rosene noted that “Over time, we can see more correlation and see what type of hit caused concussions.”
As their research continues, Rosene and Visich want to investigate the effect of repetitive hits, as well as the relationship between the magnitude of hits and cognitive function. Next winter, they plan to extend the study to the UNE men’s and women’s ice hockey teams.