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Doctor Attacks Brain Injury Head-On

By Jillian Gaier
When Kendall Thompson was called out of one of his first UT football games, his
legs led him toward the wrong sideline. Back at the locker room, he couldnt remember
where his locker was, let alone remember the code. He said that he couldnt even
remember his moms face.
Thompsons confusion dissolved after several minutes, but the damage done to
his brain that day never completely went away. When Thompson suffered his fifth
concussion this past spring, his doctors and family delivered the news he dreaded most: it
was time for him to hang up his Longhorns jersey and stop playing football.
The players, coaches and medical officers are in a challenging position, said
Steven Kornguth, a neuroscience professor at UT. If you pull a player too early, the
wellness of the team is compromised.
Kornguth discussed this dilemma, along with his research on traumatic brain
injury, during a lecture at the Perry-Castaeda Library on Wednesday. Throughout his
presentation, he emphasized his study of signaturesbiological and environmental
factorsthat make an athlete especially susceptible to long-term brain damage.
According to Kornguths theory, each signature may seem harmless on its own, but can
pose a threat when combined with other signatures.
As the professor set up his powerpoint, students and teachers settled into the
makeshift auditorium, while some added stray chairs to the back row. Several audience
members finished munching on their pizza, which was provided buffet-style by the event

staff. When Kornguth subconsciously cleared his throat into the microphone, all side
conversations faded into a lull.
He began his lecture by stating his objective in studying signatures.
The ultimate goal in studying this is to get an algorithm which we can then give
to the medical directors in the sports arena, that shows when you have this specific
pattern, the probability of a very serious illness is very high, Kornguth said.
The signatures that make up Kornguths algorithm include cognitive function,
brain structure, neural injury, and eye-related injury. Kornguth said that for years,
doctors have applied tools such as the ImPACT Test, MRI and biomarkers to assess each
signature separately. He intends to fuse all of this knowledge together to produce a clear
and conclusive diagnosis for each athlete.
As a result, medics will be able to make a more informed decision about when to
exclude a player from competition and when to reinsert him. Once fully developed,
Kornguth says his algorithm will benefit at-risk players like Thompson, who are
unknowingly prone to more severe consequences than other athletes.
For UT associate professor of nursing Linda Yoder, this was all new information.
Despite her preexisting medical knowledge, Yoder was unaware and impressed by the
innovate research taking place on campus.
Yoders background in traumatic brain injury research may have been what
brought her to Kornguths lecture. But as a sister of two all-state football players, Yoder
was also able to relate to the subject matter from a fans perspective.

Regarding contact sports, Yoder said, Theyre part of the American landscape.
These sports are here to stay. We just need to get better at recognizing the
symptomology and screening people at the time of injury.
Kornguth was just as realistic and said that the desire to compete often overrides
any pain or confusion a player may feel.
Until recently, this was certainly true in Thompsons case.
Despite the concussions and occasional loss of thought that occurs to this day,
Thompson says he does not regret playing football.
I chose to expose myself in the situation for my love of the game, he said.
When you love something, youre going to keep doing it until you cant do it anymore.
For this reason, Kornguth argued that it is up to the medicsnot just the leagues
or the players themselvesto resist outside pressures, implement more efficient
technology, and make the right call in real time.
As for the future, Thompson said he hopes that one day hell be able to help his
kids with their homework. He believes he will still be able to do that because he took
action before too much damage was done.
But not all athletes are as self-aware as Thompson. Until more indicative health
technology is adopted into the sports arena, its game on for traumatic brain injury.

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