Concussion in Australian collision sports 'under-researched'

Ms Georgia Fuller Symons, first author

on the paper, demonstrating the frame

for ocular motor function tests, one of 

the indicators of brain trauma

by Anne Crawford

Concussion sustained during collision sports including AFL and rugby, and its effects on players, is a growing issue in Australia but research into the subject is limited and lacks consensus, a paper by Monash University Department of Neuroscience researchers has found.

First author PhD student Georgia Symons said the review, which appeared recently in the Journal of Neurotrauma, found that most literature on the topic predominantly looked at North American contact sports such as ice hockey and NFL, and also European sport.

Study highlights gap in ageing brain research

L-R: Dr Mujun Sun (first author) and A/Prof

Sandy Shultz (last author)

by Anne Crawford

Neurological conditions such as traumatic brain injury, stroke, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease are leading causes of morbidity and mortality affecting millions of people worldwide. Yet the majority of clinical trials testing drugs for these common conditions have failed.

The Department of Neuroscience’s Associate Professor Sandy Shultz is among a growing number of scientists asking whether the failure to translate findings of preclinical studies to the clinic is because many patients with these conditions are middle-aged or older, yet most preclinical studies test only young adult animals.

Spotlight on our NHMRC Fellowship winners: Associate Professor Sandy Shultz

A/Prof Sandy Shultz
Department of Neuroscience

by Anne Crawford

Associate Professor Sandy Shultz. Career Development Fellowship to: conduct innovative translational studies into mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI).

Mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI) such as concussions affect millions of people worldwide. They are common on the sporting field and in military operations, and can occur as a result of anything from vehicle accidents to slips and falls in the home. Growing evidence is showing that repeated brain injuries are associated with lasting neurological impairments and neurodegenerative disease.

Yet the underlying pathophysiology of these effects is poorly understood.