U of C initiative researches concussions and sports injuries in Alberta youth
A Canadian team of University of Calgary specialists are taking their research on the road as they aim to prevent, diagnose and treat concussions.
The newly-created SHRed Mobile is a self-contained vehicle that is stocked with equipment as well as staff and students from the Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre (SIPRC).
It'll be rolling through some Alberta cities and towns to form a better understanding of the burden and mechanisms of concussions in young athletes.
SHRed, which stands for Surveillance in High School and Community Sport to Reduce Concussions and Consequences of Concussions in Canadian Youth, set up camp near youth football games Saturday morning.
Dr. Carolyn Emery, an epidemiologist and physiotherapist, is the team lead.
She wants to learn more about concussions and build on injury prevention strategies in communities across Alberta.
"We really want to reduce the burden of concussions in all of these sports," she told CTV News, "to make sure that these kids are still playing sports in their 20s and 30s and can have life-long participation in physical activity."
Inside the SHRed Mobile, research can be conducted on pre-season testing sessions, post-concussing testing, clinical testing, video analysis and usage of wearable technologies.
Staff will also be able to travel throughout Alberta to facilitate discussions with coaches and teachers to help instruct them about concussion and injury prevention.
"About 30 per cent of people (who get a concussion) will have prolonged symptoms, and there's millions of concussions that happen across North America each year," kinesiology associate professor and researcher Jonathan Smirl said. "So if we can help those people out, we can really make a big impact on the overall healthcare system. This is going to be a huge tool for breaking down those barriers and bringing our research to the community."
An estimated, one in 10 youth will sustain a sport-related concussion each year in Alberta and more than 60 per cent of all concussions in youth occur in sport and recreational settings, researchers say. (File)
In order to complete this work, SIPRC is actively recruiting youth who participate in a set of specific sports or who have suffered a concussion as a result of a sports injury.
The sports include:
- Football;
- Rugby;
- Ice hockey;
- Ringette;
- Sledge hockey;
- Soccer;
- Basketball;
- Wheelchair basketball;
- Volleyball;
- Lacrosse;
- Cheerleading;
- Acrobatic and street-style dance and;
- Wrestling.
Athletes are encouraged to sign up for the study through the SIPRC's website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada Disability Benefit needs to be safeguarded from clawbacks, MPs unanimously agree
The federal government needs to safeguard the incoming Canada Disability Benefit from clawbacks and do more to ensure it actually meets the stated aim of lifting people living with disabilities out of poverty, MPs from all parties agree.
Security guard shot, seriously injured outside of Drake's Toronto mansion
A security guard working at Drake’s Bridle Path mansion in Toronto was seriously injured in a shooting outside the residence early Tuesday morning, police said.
Testifying in hush money trial, adult film actor Stormy Daniels describes first meeting Trump
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday in the hush money trial of former U.S. president Donald Trump, prepared to testify about a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential election 10 years later.
King Charles too busy to see son Prince Harry during U.K. trip
Prince Harry will not be seeing his father King Charles during his current visit to Britain as the monarch will be too busy, Harry's spokesperson said on Tuesday.
opinion Tom Mulcair: Turfing Poilievre from House a clear sign of desperation by Trudeau Liberals
When Speaker Greg Fergus tossed out Pierre Poilievre from the House last week, "those of us who have experience as parliamentarians simply couldn't believe our eyes," writes former NDP leader Tom Mulcair in his column for CTVNews.ca
Apple unveils new iPad Pro with 'outrageously powerful' AI-powered chip
Apple is hoping its latest iPad lineup will breathe new life into its sluggish tablet market. In a pre-recorded live streamed event from its Cupertino, California headquarters, the company introduced the latest versions of its iPad Pro and iPad Air tablets, and an all-new Apple Pencil Pro.
Katy Perry's mom was fooled by AI images of the singer at the Met Gala
Katy Perry did not attend the Met Gala on Monday, but some of the singer’s fans – and even her mom – thought she did.
Your body needs these three forms of movement every week
Movement is movement, right? Not exactly. Here’s what your body is looking for in addition to your morning walk or yoga session, according to experts.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man pays $7,700 for luxury villa found on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.