In a major week for concussion science across the United States and Europe, BRAIN Center members and alumni were represented across the board!
Dr. Michael Jaffee, Vice Chair of the Department of Neurology and BRAIN Center Director, and Dr. Aliyah Snyder, Assistant Professor in the Department of Clinical & Health Psychology and provider at the Normal Fixel Institute for Neurological Disorders, taught several classes for neurologists and other clinicians at the Sports Concussion Preconference during the American Academy of Neurology 2022 Fall Conference. Dr. Jaffee covered “Neurodegeneration and Concussion,” which addressed science exploring complicated issues of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), risk for neurodegenerative disease, and concussion/traumatic brain injury (TBI), and the “Interface of Concussion and Sleep.” Dr. Snyder gave a lecture on the “Mental Health Aspects of Concussion,” including contribution of autonomic factors.
Dr. Breton Asken, Assistant Professor in the Department of Clinical & Health Psychology and Fixel Scholar at the Normal Fixel Institute for Neurological Disorders, was an invited speaker at the 6th Annual CTE Conference hosted by the Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease and CTE Center. This virtual course featured an opportunity for participants to learn about all aspects of CTE, including its pathology, pathophysiology, genetics, biomarkers, imaging, clinical syndromes, and clinical criteria. Dr. Asken spoke on “Clinical and Biological Correlates of Repetitive Head Trauma Across the Spectrum of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Causes of Dementia.”
Dr. Jay Clugston, Associate Professor in the Department of Community Health & Family Medicine and Program Director of the UF Sports Medicine Fellowship, participated in the 6th International Consensus Conference on Concussion in Sport in Amsterdam. Sponsored by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI), World Rugby (WR), International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) and Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), with a separate Scientific Committee coordinating the program, the purpose of the conference was to develop a Consensus Statement on Concussion in Sport. This document will be used by physicians and healthcare professionals involved in the care of injured athletes at every level. Dr. Clugston presented 5 abstracts of work developed at UF, which will be published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, and 2 oral presentations outlining results from the Concussion Assessment, Research and Education (CARE) Consortium.