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Last updated on Friday, May 30, 2014
(UNDATED ) - The U-S Department of Defense and the NCAA announced Thursday a three-year, 30-million dollar concussion research and education alliance.
The project will be led by the IU School of Medicine in collaboration with the University of Michigan and the Medical College of Wisconsin.
Dr. Steve Broglio, associate professor of kinesiology at the University of Michigan, says they're planning to enroll at least 30 NCAA institutions and all four military academies over the next three years. About 37,000 student athletes will participate from low-risk sports such as cross country to high-risk sports such as football.
Broglio says bringing the NCAA and the Department of Defense on board will accelerate the timeline of their understanding of concussions. He says they're hoping to evaluate which tools are most sensitive to the immediate effects of concussions and how multiple years of sport participation may influence cognitive health.
Dr. Thomas McAllister, chair of the Department of Psychiatry at the IU School of Medicine, says they came to the conclusion that it would helpful to have a consortium of institutions that share a common goal. He says it will help them understand more about concussion, its natural history, some of the predictors that help identify those who will recover completely and those who might have a different recovery trajectory.
The Department of Defense and the NCAA will each contribute 15-million dollars to the project. Officials say the partnership "reflects their mutual interest in improving prevention of and treatment for both college athletes and military service members."
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