Researcher in talks to test cap at UA

A University of Arkansas at Fayetteville professor is in preliminary talks with UA athletic trainers to test a cap that would monitor football players during games for signs of a concussion.

“We are looking for the concussion based on the brain wave form,” said Vijay Varadan, an electrical engineering professor at UA and a neurosurgery professor at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

Sensors in a skull cap worn under a football helmet would utilize electroencephalogram (EEG) measurements that he said are used in hospitals to help assess brain injuries.

These electrical signals from the brain, along with input from another type of sensor providing information about the force of a tackle or hit, would be analyzed by computer software. With information transmitted wirelessly, signs of a possible concussion could be discovered while the action takes place on the field.

Doctors checking for a concussion may use a range of tests, including observation of a person’s eyes to determine pupil size changes as well as cognitive testing on memory and concentration. At a health-care facility, imaging tests such as a CT scan might be used.

While doctors may use various methods, Varadan said EEG measurements and the force data can show signs of a problem. “From EEG measurements, they know something is happening,” Varadan said.

Varadan said he’s been working on the technology for close to two years. No firm agreement has been reached about testing. Varadan said he hasn’t had any research results published but hopes to be able to do so next year after testing.

Northwest Arkansas, Pages 15 on 05/02/2014

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