Portable Tech/Emory Device Checks for Concussions
From NASA Tech Briefs Insider - 04/28/2005

A device to detect brain injuries on the sidelines of a football game, on a
battlefield, or in the emergency room has been developed by researchers at
Georgia Tech and Emory University. 

Called DETECT [Display Enhanced Testing for Concussions and mTBI (mild
traumatic brain injuries) system], the device, which includes software
applications, a portable computer, and an LCD display in the headgear,
assesses problems associated with concussions. 

When suffering from mTBI, a person will have difficulty with certain types of
thinking controlled by 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. While a typical mTBI test requires 1-2 hours of testing, DETECT
performs neuropsychological tests in an immersive environment in about 7
minutes. 

Read the entire article at:
http://www.gatech.edu/news-room/release.php?id=554

Links and related articles:
NFL, NHL: team players in brain-injury diagnosis
http://www.apa.org/monitor/nov98/injury.html

New portable device checks for concussions on the sidelines
http://www.physorg.com/news3868.html

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Device Eases Diagnosis of Concussions and Other Cognitive Conditions
From: Medical Device & Diagnostic Industry Magazine - July 2005 - page 34
By: Maria Fontanazza

A device that identifies an athlete’s concussion on the sidelines may also be
able to evaluate cognitive decline linked to Alzheimer’s disease.  

The device is named DETECT (Display Enhanced Testing for Concussions and mTBI
system). It was originally intended for use during a football game. The
portable device performs a test for mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) in
minutes. Many mTBI tests often take a long time and can’t be performed on a
field.  

The portable computer, equipped with headgear and software, is the first of
its kind for sideline assessment of concussion that relies on an immersive
environment, says coinventor Michelle LaPlaca. She is an assistant professor
of biomedical engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory
University (both Atlanta).  

Caption: Assistant professor Michelle LaPlaca, with the help of Bryan
Williams, demonstrates DETECT’s ability to identify mild concussions in
almost any setting. 

Read the entire article at:
http://www.devicelink.com/mddi/archive/05/07/010.html