Study led by UNL professor could lead to better concussion diagnoses for athletes

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – A new study could improve concussion diagnoses for athletes.

Aron Barbey – the director of the Center for Brain, Biology and Behavior at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln – led the study.

In the study, 50 athletes from English and Welsh rugby leagues were tested for concussions with two tests: cognitive and oxygen variability.

The cognitive test tasked players with recalling or matching words, symbols or colors.

The oxygen variability test had athletes undergo an fMRI, in which blood flow represented brain activity.

Barbey and company found that using both tests instead of just one was more effective in diagnosing concussions.

“When we also measure brain activity, we can do a better job at accurately identifying whether someone has had a concussion,” Barbey said.

Barbey said that fMRI scans could supplement routine cognitive rests, which are largely dependent on self-reported symptoms.