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Professor studies effects of concussions
Li-Shan Chou's research has found that symptoms often stick around longer than people typically think
by Eric Florip | News Editor
Students who take a nasty hit to the head during a sports game are usually willing to sit out the next few plays. They might want to sit out the next few games.
Current research at the University has found that the effects of a concussion often linger for much longer than most think - more than a month in many cases.
Physiology professor Li-Shan Chou began his research evaluating concussion patients' walking mechanics and mental abilities in 2002, just two years after he arrived at the University. Chou found that young people who had suffered head injuries swayed side to side more when they walked, and subjects often faltered when trying to perform simple verbal tasks such as spelling a word backward while walking.
A normal person sways about four centimeters side to side while walking, Chou said. Many of his concussion patients swayed an additional centimeter, as much as a 25 percent increase.
Chou said he uses his background in biomechanics to analyze the small but significant increases in human movement with the help of equipment in the University's Motion Analysis Lab in Gerlinger Annex.
"It's very difficult for us to picture that visually, so you have to rely on this kind of system to be able to detect the difference," Chou said. To help monitor subjects' movement, patients are asked to wear electronic sensors that record movement in front of several cameras.
In general, Chou said, the occurrence of concussions is a widely underreported problem because people don't take them seriously enough. He said about 300,000 sports-related concussions are reported in the United States each year, and an average of 900 of those will later result in death from complications.
Chou said the risk of more serious injury increases with each incident.
"If a person suffers their very first concussion, his or her chance to get a second concussion is about four times higher than people who do not have a previous concussion," Chou said.
Current research at the University has found that the effects of a concussion often linger for much longer than most think - more than a month in many cases.
Physiology professor Li-Shan Chou began his research evaluating concussion patients' walking mechanics and mental abilities in 2002, just two years after he arrived at the University. Chou found that young people who had suffered head injuries swayed side to side more when they walked, and subjects often faltered when trying to perform simple verbal tasks such as spelling a word backward while walking.
A normal person sways about four centimeters side to side while walking, Chou said. Many of his concussion patients swayed an additional centimeter, as much as a 25 percent increase.
Chou said he uses his background in biomechanics to analyze the small but significant increases in human movement with the help of equipment in the University's Motion Analysis Lab in Gerlinger Annex.
"It's very difficult for us to picture that visually, so you have to rely on this kind of system to be able to detect the difference," Chou said. To help monitor subjects' movement, patients are asked to wear electronic sensors that record movement in front of several cameras.
In general, Chou said, the occurrence of concussions is a widely underreported problem because people don't take them seriously enough. He said about 300,000 sports-related concussions are reported in the United States each year, and an average of 900 of those will later result in death from complications.
Chou said the risk of more serious injury increases with each incident.
"If a person suffers their very first concussion, his or her chance to get a second concussion is about four times higher than people who do not have a previous concussion," Chou said.
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