Sport-related head injury is a significant health concern that can lead to harmful effects down the line, such as permanent brain injury. Research led by Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute researcher Dr. Lyndia Wu and Ahmad Rezaei used a novel computer vision algorithm to create a head injury baseline that could help protect sports participants from short- and long-term negative outcomes from head impacts.
Concussion follows a traumatic brain injury that violently jostles the head and brain, and one that can leave lasting mental scars. Around 10-20 per cent of adults will develop post-concussion symptoms that persist beyond three months after their injury. Left unchecked, they can lead to long-term disability, dramatically reducing a person’s ability to function and enjoy daily life.
Concussions are a leading injury associated with skiing and snowboarding, yet most helmets are not designed to prevent them. Research led by Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute (VCHRI) researcher, Dr. Peter Cripton, could bring about a game-changing re-evaluation of how snow sport helmets are tested and designed.
“A main focus of our study is to establish new testing standards that mimic real-world scenarios,” says Cripton. “This can inform the design of a helmet that protects the wearer from a concussion, along with other traumatic head injuries.”
Thirty-year-old Vancouver resident Aaron Brown has experienced concussions in the past, but a concussion two years ago—from a cycling accident that launched him into a ditch—felt different. It has been a slower than usual road to recovery and Brown still doesn’t feel 100 per cent.
Like millions of people around the world, Dr. E. Paul Zehr is a big fan of Batman. In fact, Dr. Zehr, who works in human discovery science at ICORD (International Collaboration On Repair Discoveries), uses Batman as a way to teach people about science and medicine. He’s also written a book about the caped crusader—Becoming Batman: The Possiblity of a Superhero.
“Batman is the only superhero who is a human being. So people really relate to him,” says Dr. Zehr. “Batman’s popularity is a great tool to spotlight real world issues.”
If Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute scientist Dr. Alexander Rauscher has learned anything from studying concussions that happen during sports like ice hockey, it’s that helmets really can only protect so much – and it’s not enough.
Twenty-one-year-old University of British Columbia (UBC) student Jorden Sandover-Best is fully aware that the concussions he’s endured as a varsity and national rugby player, and the risk of experiencing more as he keeps playing, may not bode well for his studies as a fourth-year English major.
Twenty-one-year-old University of British Columbia (UBC) student Jorden Sandover-Best is fully aware that the concussions he’s endured as a varsity and national rugby player, and the risk of experiencing more as he keeps playing, may not bode well for his studies as a fourth-year English major.
Q: How prevalent are brain injuries in Canada?
A: Brain injuries can range from mild traumatic brain injury, also known as a concussion, to moderate and severe brain injuries. A concussion is a brain injury caused when the brain moves rapidly back and forth inside the skull.
