Radar scan can check athletes, soldiers for concussion: PIO’s study

April 26th, 2011 - 4:25 pm ICT by ANI  

Washington, Apr 26 (ANI): A study involving an Indian-origin researcher has suggested that a simple test using radar technology can quickly determine whether an athlete or a soldier has suffered a concussion.

By asking an individual to walk a short distance while saying the months of the year in reverse order, researhcers Jennifer Palmer, Amy Sharma and Kristin Bing, at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) can determine if that person is impaired and possibly suffering from a concussion.

This simple test, which could be performed on the sideline of a sporting event or on a battlefield, has the potential to help coaches and commanders decide if athletes and soldiers are ready to engage in activity again.

“When a person with a concussion performs cognitive and motor skill tasks simultaneously, they have a different gait pattern than a healthy individual, and we can identify those anomalies in a person’s walk with radar,” GTRI research engineer Jennifer Palmer said.

“We’re using a 10.5 gigahertz continuous wave radar, which is similar to a police officer’s radar gun that measures the speed of a car,” researcher Kristin Bing said.

“It’s easy for a person to concentrate on one task, but when that person has to multitask we can begin to discriminate between someone who is impaired and someone who is not,” she added. (ANI)

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