Innovation in Concussion Research and Treatment at CSIC
Dr. Brian Benson completed his M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Epidemiology with a focus on sport-related concussion and is a leader in the field. WinSport Medicine Clinic and Canadian Sport Institute Calgary (CSIC) offered him the opportunity to continue his research and clinical practice as part of its broader focus on athlete assessment, management and prevention. Dr. Benson, the Director of Sport Medicine for CSIC says that for concussed individuals "timely access to the best possible clinical care is critical to ensure an optimal recovery and safe return to play".
In 2012, Own The Podium (OTP) funded a research project that enabled the purchase of a KINARM™, a robotic virtual-reality device that objectively assesses sensory, motor, and cognitive function in people with brain injuries. The device was originally used with stroke patients and was developed at Queen's University by BKIN Technologies. The goal of this novel technology is to objectively analyse post-concussion brain dysfunction and sensorimotor recovery that are critical for a safe return to sport, optimal sport performance, and prevention of repeat or other injuries. It is a considerable innovation for sport-related concussion assessment.
OTP is funding this research and chose to work with Dr. Benson and CSIC due to the large number of National Teams based here whose athletes have a high risk of sustaining a concussion – Alpine Skiing, Speed Skating, Waterpolo, Bobsleigh, Skeleton, Luge and Wrestling.
Dr. Benson is working with a team of investigators; Dr. Dukelow, Dr. Meeuwisse, Dr. Debert, Madeline Thomas, Dr. Kang, Dr. Wiley and Dr. Scott. They are working together to validate the reliability and clinical utility of the robotic technology for acute sport concussion assessment. In March 2015, once data collection is complete, Dr. Benson will be overseeing the data analysis.
Dr. Benson notes that in high-performance sports, return to play can occur too early resulting in elevated risk of repeat or other injury which may have deleterious consequences on an athlete's future success. The advantage of performing concussion research in a high-performance sport environment is the multidisciplinary approach to it. The expertise of each member of the Integrated Support Team (IST) is used to provide complete care from the sport physician, to the physiotherapist, physiologist, strength and conditioning coach, nutritionist and mental performance psychologist. The discipline leads of CSIC are working with Dr. Benson to ensure the biggest impact possible in the assessment and management of concussions.
The benefit of using the KINARM™ robotic device in the clinical and research setting will be to reach a large population of high-risk athletes, in order to advance the science of sport concussion while at the same time continuously improve the standard of clinical care through research and innovation. Both high performance athletes who are affiliated with CSIC and the public at large will benefit from this new technology and the leadership of Dr. Benson.
Canadian Sport Institute Calgary: @csicalgary
Photo by Dave Holland: @csicalgaryphoto
