Purdue profs. available to discuss concussions

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Members of the Purdue Neurotrauma Group are available to discuss concussions and answer questions on a topic that continues to make headlines almost daily.

Professors Eric Nauman and Thomas Talavage can speak about research into the potential health effects of repeated head impacts.  

Nauman is a professor of mechanical engineering, basic medical sciences and biomedical engineering. Talavage is a professor of electrical and computer engineering and biomedical engineering and co-director of the Purdue MRI Facility.

They are leading the Purdue Neurotrauma Group, which has been studying brain changes in high school football players since 2009. The group is a collaborative nuerotrauma research team that combines expertise in clinical diagnosis and care, biomechanics, and neuroimaging. Its mission is to identify the mechanisms that lead to traumatic brain injury in athletes, soldiers and victims of blunt-force impacts, and to develop early detection methods, protective systems, and directed therapies to provide the fastest recovery possible.

Nauman and Talavage can also discuss:

* The lasting effects of repeated blows to the head, with medical imaging evidence showing players may not fully heal from season to season.

* A Concussion Neuroimaging Consortium made up of eight institutions to garner support and funding for research into the neurological effects of contact sports.  

Writer: Tim Doty, 765-496-2571, doty2@purdue.edu 

Sources: Thomas M. Talavage, 765-494-5475. tmt@purdue.edu

Eric Nauman, 765-494-8602, enauman@purdue.edu

Videos: 

YouTube video on Nauman is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYqnWmtU2iY&feature=youtu.be 

YouTube video on Talavage is available at https://youtu.be/gPJEl831K1A