Student David Ims Awarded for Tracing Concussion Impact with Brain Waves
Towson University graduate student teams up with neurologist Harry Kerasidis, MD to identify how traumatic brain injury impacts the brain
(Newswire.net — October 5, 2016) National Harbor, MD — David Ims, a graduate student in Clinical Psychology at Towson University, received a Student Paper Award by the International Society for Neurofeedback & Research (ISNR) for his research paper “Riding the Wave to Recovery: sLORETA QEEG in Sport Related Concussions.” He presented his findings last month at the ISNR 24th Annual Conference held in Orlando.
Working alongside neurologist Harry Kerasidis, MD, Ims used sLORETA (Standardized low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography) three-dimensional current source density analysis to look at the effects of concussion injury in youth sports. Also known as neurofeedback measuring brain waves of activity, the study showed three patterns among the high school age student athletes within the first few days after concussion injury:
- Regionally increased slow activity usually in the temporal, parietal and frontal lobes
- Variably reduced mid-range activity in the occipital and parietal lobes
- Deregulated fast activity in a generalized pattern throughout most of the brain
Using XLNTbrain Sport™, both athletes and researchers monitored symptoms, cognitive, behavioral and physical progress throughout the recovery. This allowed researchers to compare the individual’s symptoms with the brain-wave findings.
According to Dr. Kerasidis, Ims’ findings provide a look at the future of concussion management.
“By tracing concussions impact on the brain, we can spot potential trouble from a brain functionality perspective, and assist with detection and healing timelines,” said Dr. Kerasidis, author of Concussion-ology: Redefining Sports Concussion Management for All Levels, science director for XLNTbrain Sport, founder of Chesapeake Neurology Associates and Medical Director at Calvert Memorial Hospital in Maryland. “This will lead to better outcomes for student-athletes both on and off the field of play.”
According to Ims, next he plans to extend the study to include assessment of the effectiveness of using neurofeedback as the intervention in concussion recovery.
Ims said the sLORETA analyzes electrical patterns at the surface of the scalp which reflect cortical activity, or brain waves.
If you would like a demonstration of the XLNTbrain Sport concussion protocol, please register here.
