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http://www.washingtontimes.com/upi-breaking/20050427-052501-9081r.htm
 New device detects brain injuries



Atlanta, GA, Apr. 27 (UPI) -- A team of Emory University scientists in
Atlanta have developed a device to quickly detect brain injuries,
regardless of surrounding noise and movement.

The device, called DETECT for Display Enhanced Testing for Concussions
and mild traumatic brain injuries, is an easy to administer and
sensitive system for assessing problems associated with concussions.
DETECT includes a portable computer with software applications and a
display in the headgear.

A typical test requires a quiet room and 1-2 hours of testing, but
DETECT performs neuropsychological tests in just about any environment
in approximately 7 minutes. It is designed for use on the sidelines of a
sporting event, a battlefield, or in an emergency room.

More than 750,000 mild traumatic brain injuries occur in the United
States each year, the developers said. A second blow to the head can
lead to additional life long problems or even second impact syndrome,
which has a mortality rate of up to 50 percent.

DETECT is expected to be commercially available in the next three to
five years.


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http://www.whsc.emory.edu/press_releases_print.cfm?announcement_id_seq=3
699

Emory University
Woodruff Health Sciences Center
News
Media Contact:  Holly Korschun
   [log in to unmask]
   (404) 727-3990
 27 April 2005
New Device Developed by Georgia Tech and Emory Checks for Concussions on
the Sidelines
A player just took a hard knock to the head and is lying on the field. A
coach rushes to his side, but the player sits up and seems fine.
He knows who the president is and how many fingers the coach is holding
up. But is he ready to get back in the game?

More than 750,000 mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI) occur in the
United States each year. When a player or soldier with even a mild
concussion is sent back to the field, another blow to the head can lead
to additional life long problems or even second impact syndrome, which
has a mortality rate of up to 50 percent. But the injury is difficult to
diagnose, even with a quiet room and a several-hour-long test.

Michelle LaPlaca, PhD, an assistant professor in the Wallace H. Coulter
Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory
University, and David Wright, MD, assistant director of Emory
University's Emergency Medicine Research Center, have developed a new
device to detect brain injuries right on the sidelines of a football
game, on a battlefield or in the emergency room.

Called DETECT (Display Enhanced Testing for Concussions and mTBI
system), the device is a fast, easy to administer and sensitive system
for assessing problems associated with concussions. The DETECT device is
an integrated system that includes software applications, a portable
computer and an LCD display in the headgear.

While a typical mTBI test requires a quiet room and 1-2 hours of
testing, DETECT performs neuropsychological tests in an immersive
environment in about 7 minutes, regardless of surrounding noise and
movement. So, a football player or soldier who just took a hard hit to
the head can take the test and either be safely cleared to get back on
the field or sent to receive medical attention.

The device blocks external stimuli that could interfere with testing,
such as light and sound. This allows the test to be given in virtually
any setting, even a bright football field with a roaring crowd.

When suffering from mTBI, a person will have difficulty with certain
types of thinking controlled by a different areas of the brain, such as
working memory, complex reaction and multi-tasking. DETECT runs the
wearer through three types of neuropsychological tests that measure the
function of several parts of the brain as it attempts to perform the
tests.

For example, the first shows the wearer a series of shapes with
different colors and textures and gives voice instructions. The wearer
uses a simple controller (similar to a video game controller) to respond
to the commands. The device then measures the wearer's response times
and answer selections. If the response time is too slow or the incorrect
answers were provided, it indicates impairment.

The DETECT system includes a laptop to run the software, a head-mounted
display, earmuffs that also act as headphones and an input device
(controller). The display projects the visual aspect of the test, the
headphones provide the verbal instructions and the controller records
the wearer's response.

In addition to its speed and portability, DETECT can also be
administered by a non-medical personnel such as a coach or parent rather
than a trained neurophysiologist.

While the device has already been tested in the lab and in a hospital
emergency room, the Georgia Tech football program recognizes the need
for improved concussion assessment and plans to test this new
technology.

DETECT may have other potential cognitive testing applications, such as
helping assess cognitive impairment related to Alzheimer's disease or
drug use. The test would be brief and could be performed in a general
physician's office.

DETECT is expected to be commercially available in the next three to
five years.




Emory University's Woodruff Health Sciences Center is one of the
nation's pre-eminent academic health centers, devoted to Making People
Healthy through research, teaching, and patient care. It includes the
Emory University School of Medicine, the Rollins School of Public
Health, the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, and the Yerkes
National Primate Research Center. Its clinical arm is Emory Healthcare,
Georgia's largest and most comprehensive health care system, consisting
of Emory University Hospital, Emory Crawford Long Hospital, Wesley Woods
Center, The Emory Clinic, the Emory Children's Center, EHCA, LLC,
Emory-Adventist Hospital, and other affiliates.
C Emory University 2005





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