The next wave of concussion testing technology could come out of the University of Calgary.
Its researchers have been working to develop a portable brain-imaging system that would help diagnose concussions, detect damage and estimate recovery timelines. The system uses light to scan for signs of brain damage from a concussion-inducing injury and will be put to the test at the Alberta Children’s Hospital.
The brain images will be taken with near-infrared spectroscopy, which looks for oxygen levels and blood flow in the brain as signals that the brain’s hemispheres are communicating with each other, according to the University of Calgary.