You only have one brain: U of R tackles concussion research

Researchers at the University of Regina are testing hundreds of young athletes prior to the start of the sports season, gathering baseline data on brain functions as part of a long-term study on concussions.

Patrick Neary, an exercise physiologist and professor of kinesiology at the U of R, has been examining brain injuries and sports for 10 years.

Concussions can really mess people up.- Kyler Flahr

This year, with support from research grants, Neary is collecting information on some 300 U of R athletes in all sports as well as a group of high school football players from Campbell Collegiate — members of the Tartans.

"The idea is to get information on how the brain is functioning prior to their starting a football season," Neary said Saturday.

In the lab, athletes like Yianni Maragos, 17, were connected to sensitive devices that tracked a variety of functions including oxygen use, heart activity and how the brain reacts to an exercise — a squat-stand.

"Everyone's at risk for a concussion," Maragos, who plays running back for the Tartans, said. He said players are learning how to perform tackles and hits in ways that reduce the risk of a brain injury.

At the end of the season Maragos will return to the lab for more testing to see if there are any changes. As well, if it should happen during the year that he shows signs of a possible concussion, he will be assessed during his recovery.

"Our coaching staff does a great job with that," he said, talking about how players are monitored for any injuries. "They will take us off."

Masking symptoms is a problem

One of the challenges of keeping players safe is ensuring they don't ignore or hide symptoms of a concussion. Neary said he tells young players to be alert to what is going on.

"I remind them that they have one brain and they need to keep that brain for the next 70, 80 years of their life," he said. "You don't have to suck it up like you used to, years ago."

Another Campbell player undergoing baseline testing Saturday was Kyler Flahr, also in Grade 12 with Maragos, who recalled how he took a number of heavy hits in a game — his first — in Grade 10. Four days after the game he experienced severe symptoms related to concussion.

Flahr was unable to walk for a spell, his speech was affected and he suffered blackouts.

"Concussions can really mess people up," Flahr said. He realized later that after the first hard hit of the game, he should have stayed on the sideline. "I should have just sat out."

"It was mainly just ego that made me keep playing," he said. "I wanted to prove myself and show the coaches that I can play."

Flahr said he is far more cautious about his play now and hopes to further develop his football skills.

"It's something that I love and want to do," he said, adding that his family is supportive but constantly reminding him that his health is their number one priority.

Equipment not a guarantee of protection

Neary praised coaches in Regina and Moose Jaw for their approach to safety in sports. He noted that many conduct initial practices without players donning helmets.

With their heads exposed players are more aware of what they are doing, he explained.

Neary also noted how concussions are related to sudden movement affecting the brain.

"A concussion is the movement of the brain inside the skull," he said. "You don't need to hit the head to get a concussion."

Neary added that in some ways players can be in greater danger because they feel invincible underneath a lot of protective gear.

"I don't think the equipment has helped the situation with concussions," he said. "They feel that they're gladiators out there."

Maragos said he and players like Flahr have learned a lot about how to hit safely and still produce on the field.

"We do a lot of non-head-to-head contact without diminishing our performance," he said.