A research team created a device which can analyze a person’s brain waves instantly after a concussion to see the severity of the blow.
The University of Nebraska research team, headed by brain recording expert Dennis Molfese, aims to make this device available for players who often suffer from concussions such as the football players. This will make the medical staff identify within minutes if the player had sustained from the blow or if needs emergency attention.
The University of Nebraska's Center for Brain, Biology and Behavior, also known as CB3, is located inside a football stadium. They specialize in developing devices which can help detect and treat head injuries which will be most beneficial to players and children.
“There has been great concussion research that's been going on for decades," said Molfese in Mercury News. "It's disconcerting to realize just how little we really know."
The project was initiated by Tom Osborne, a retired football coach and athletic director, who would like to have the academic and athletic side of the university work together. The academic team does the research while the athletic team participates with the testing and experiments. This new brain-scanning device may also be used by the university’ political science experts to study why some people think liberal while others are conservative.
Concussions had been one of the major concerns in the sports industry especially on former National Football League players. The players had sued the league for not giving them enough protection during the game play. This is being dealt by the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, concussions contribute to a significant number of deaths and permanent disabilities in the United States. About 1.7 million occurs annually, 300,000 of those were sports-related.
