University Letter

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Concussion research by Dmitri Poltavski cited in Nature

Dmitri Poltavski, associate professor of psychology, published a research article in the Journal Nature (Nov. 26) titled, “Frontal theta-gamma ratio is a sensitive index of concussion history in athletes on tasks of visuo-motor control.”

He and his colleagues explored the sensitivity of EEG to history of concussion in 81 youth athletes (18 with a history of concussion, ages 13–18) during visual-motor activities that vary in working memory, processing speed demands and motor output requirements.

The results showed that the theta-to-gamma power spectral density (PSD) ratio was significantly lower in the concussion history group on the tests of target capture, perception span and hand reaction time.  This suggests that deficits in psychomotor ability persist in athletes with a history of concussion that may have implications for diagnosis, return-to-play, rehabilitation and performance training.