Horizons Fall 2015

4 NSU HORIZONS And, so did the state of Florida. Passed in 2012, the youth athletic concussion bill stipulates that high school coaches and athletic trainers cannot allow athletes to continue playing if they suspect a head injury. The athlete can return only after clearance from a medical doctor. The reason, as Russo puts it: Undiagnosed concussions can put someone at risk for brain damage and even disability. Fortunately, the estimated 150 athletes who pass annually through NSU’s Sports Medicine Clinic because of head injuries have generally responded to treatment and rehabilita- tion, according to Russo. The clinic is open to the public as well as the NSU community. But treating head injuries after the fact is only one aspect of NSU’s program. The university’s aggressive approach begins even before the first kickoff or face-off. In partnership with Broward County Athletic Association, NSU has, for years, been building a database of baseline tests of cognitive functions, examining young athletes before they play. The tests are administered in Broward County Athletic Association (BCAA) high schools, at NSU University School, and also used for NSU collegiate athletics. The online test is designed to measure an athlete’s memory, visual-processing speed, and reaction time. In case of injury, “baseline test results can be used as a comparison point,” Russo said. In just a few years, NSU has gathered more than 40,000 baseline profiles. One of those tested is NSU University School quarterback Henry Colombi, 16. The junior took the baseline test a few months ago. “This is a good thing, so there would be a way to tell without having to guess,” he said. “It’s good that people are aware of it.” Was it difficult? “Some of it was hard, some of it easier,” Colombi said. “It took about 30 to 45 minutes.” Joshua Ali, also 16 and a junior, is a wide receiver for the NSU University School Sharks. “I thought the test was going to be hard, but it wasn’t bad,” Ali said. A year ago, one of his teammates went down with a concussion, so he has seen it firsthand. “I was tested before I even put on pads and started hitting,” he said. Besides those in the NSU sports medicine community, one of the biggest believers in the program is Lee Frankhouser, president of the Floridian Community Bank, which has its headquarters just a half a mile from NSU’s Fort Lauderdale/ Davie Campus. Once he found out about the baseline testing program, he put NSU on the bank’s charitable calendar. The bank has donated to the program in each of the past two years. The donation helps defray the costs of training At right, Beau Gedrick, left, and Andrew Kusienski confer after observing NSU University School football players during practice. Opposite page, top, Andrew Kusienski demonstrates an on-the-field check of NSU University School quarterback Henry Colombi. Opposite page, bottom, Stephen Russo shows fourth-year psychology student Maggie Tobin how an athlete’s balance is important in evaluating the student’s response.