The University of Windsor is teaming up with the Sun Parlour Female Hockey Association to study concussions in young athletes.
The university's Sport-Related Concussion Centre will soon begin testing about 100 girls ages 11 to 16 with a goal of learning how to best protect athletes from injury while advancing research into recovery.
Psychology Professor, Dr. Joe Casey, is leading the study. He says "it starts with baseline testing. These are computerized cognitive tests that look at various detentions of verbal memory, visual memory, working memory, processing speed, reaction time so that if they were injured then we can compare how they're doing after injuries."
"We'll be working with team staff as well" says Casey. "We have also done a training session with the coaches and training to help them in terms of understanding what they're looking for, what concussion is, how to recognize it. So that if a player is ever thought to have suffered a concussion we have a protocol set in place that they contact us right away."
The university's Sport-Related Concussion Centre was launched in 2013 to provide support for Lancer varsity athletes.
Casey says expanding its operations to children will help bring expertise to an under served population.