2015 Concussion Prevention and Diagnosis Workshop; Lowell, Massachusetts; June 2-3, 2015

University Of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell MA

Investigators

Abstract

Concussions are a significant health concern and there is growing research in the field. Unfortunately, researchers who are in different disciplines and working on concussion-related research are often unaware of the current state-of-knowledge in the other disciplines. This workshop will aim to facilitate discussions about the current state of the knowledge with respect to the sources, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of concussions and to provide an opportunity for the establishment of new working teams that can make significant advances. Outcomes of this workshop will include pathways for understanding the relationship between the specific impact event and resulting degree of injury, design of effective protective equipment from such injuries, and technology to integrate health-monitoring devices into the equipment. The workshop will facilitate cross-disciplinary research that is expected to significantly improve the prevention and diagnosis of concussions, thus making sports safer for athletes and combat safer for soldiers. The workshop will also help the development a roadmap for future research and policy in concussion prevention and diagnosis. The cross-disciplinary concussion prevention and diagnosis workshop will bring together a diverse audience with a collective wealth of knowledge in order to facilitate discussions about the current state of the knowledge with respect to the sources, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of concussions; identify research gaps; determine future research paths that will provide solutions to the concussion epidemic; generate a report that will assist funding agencies in defining research initiatives; provide opportunities for new working teams; and disseminate knowledge across disciplines through panel sessions. The workshop will include cross-disciplinary panel sessions and small-group discussion sessions. The four panel sessions will interrogate the approaches used for four different population segments, youth sports, females in high school and collegiate sports, professional sports, and the military. Within each session, the goal will be to identify the cross-disciplinary research gaps and determine the future research paths. The topics will cross between dynamics, biomechanics, sensors, bioengineering, materials, medicine, and imaging.