What if a computer chip in a football player's helmet could tell coaches on the sideline that he has suffered a concussion?
Dr. Hashem Ashrafiuon, a mechanical engineering professor in Villanova University's College of Engineering, envisions that day is not too far off -- when a computer chip embedded in any player's helmet will transmit brain wave data for instant analysis by the software that he and his research team are currently developing.
The software will allow coaches and athletic trainers with much-needed information to determine if a player -- from the pee-wee leagues to the NFL -- has suffered a concussion.
The software, developed by Ashrafiuon and colleagues from University of Wisconsin and Brain Computer Interface LLC (BCI), analyzes human brain wave data -- commonly known as EEG signals -- recorded by a single-electrode headset and predicts abnormalities in brain activity. It provides functional information to significantly improve a concussion diagnosis using an inexpensive portable EEG medical device that can be easily used in any school or athletic facility, and can be made available for individual use.
The software also has applications that reach far beyond the football field.
"It can basically be used to diagnose any 'health problem' that affects brain activity," Ashrafiuon said. "We hope to monitor brain health in patients with mild traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, Alzheimer's disease, mild cognitive impairment, and sleep and circadian disorders."
Ashrafiuon's team includes Parham Ghorbanian, a graduate student at Villanova, David M. Devilbiss, a University of Wisconsin psychologist, and Adam Simon, founder and CEO of BCI.
At this stage of their research, Ashrafiuon's team has validated the software in a study performed under a U.S. Army Small Business Innovation Research contract to evaluate its potential for diagnosing PTSD.
The team is also:
• analyzing data collected from patients with Alzheimer's disease in collaboration with Dr. Allan Bernstein, a neurologist with Palm Drive Hospital in Sebastopol, Calif.
• collecting data on skiers and snow boarders in the Lake Tahoe area, together with Adam Simon from BCI. Moving forward, they hope to collect additional data at local high schools, colleges and universities.
The team's current research findings were presented at the 2011 Alzheimer's Association International Conference in Paris, France, and are expected to be published in several conferences throughout the spring and fall of 2012. Commercialization of the software is projected for 2014.
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