College of Education and Human Development
Shane Caswell's Research on Concussions is Highlighted in Washington Post
November 4, 2013
Shane Caswell's groundbreaking research on concussions in high school sports was highlighted in a major front page article in Sunday's Washington Post.
The article and website feature, called "Her Biggest Save," describes the aftermath for Briana Scurry, a two-time Olympic goalkepper and Women's World Cup champion soccer player, after experiencing a career-ending hit to the head during a game.
Shane Caswell, associate professor at George Mason University and co-director of the university's Sports Medicine Assessment Research and Testing (S.M.A.R.T.) Laboratory, was cited as a national expert on the issue.
The Post TV video that accompanies the video includes comments from Dr. Caswell and a view of the sports medicine laboratory on the Science and Technology Campus of George Mason University. (Go to 3:03).
From the article:
"Despite the recent surge in concussion awareness, researchers and doctors still know very little about the exact mechanics of concussion. They understand the initial trauma, when the brain bumps up against the skull and begins to bleed or bruise. Less clear are what Shane Caswell, executive director of George Mason University’s sports medicine lab, calls the “effects downstream” - such things as impaired cognition, memory loss, imbalance, mood disorder and changes to brain physiology."
The article also highlighted Dr. Caswell's work with Fairfax County Public Schools and Prince William County Public Schools, research which has found that the concussion risk to girls in high school sports are greater than to boys.
In Caswell’s study of high school athletes at Fairfax County Public Schools, girls were almost twice as likely to suffer a concussion as boys in sports whose rules and equipment were similar for both sexes. A study of high school and college athletes in 2007 found that soccer carried the highest concussion risk of any women's sport. Perhaps most surprisingly, it found that women playing soccer in college suffered concussions at a higher overall rate than athletes in any other sport, including football. Researchers point out that these figures take both games and practices into account, which could skew the concussion rates in sports like soccer, where athletes often practice in game-like conditions.
The work of Dr. Caswell and other researchers in the School of Recreation, Health, and Tourism is part of George Mason's university-wide commitment to research of consequence that translates discoveries into interventions and applications with social, cultural, and economic impact.
Read the full Washington Post article (November 2, 2013) by Caitlin Dewey.
About CEHD
George Mason University's College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) includes two schools: the Graduate School of Education, one of the largest teacher preparation and education schools in Virginia, and the School of Recreation, Health, and Tourism. CEHD offers a comprehensive range of degrees, certificates, courses, and licensure programs on campus, online, and on site. The college is distinguished by faculty who encourage new ways of thinking and pioneering research supported by more than $75 million in funding over the past five years.
For additional information:
- CEHD Communications: cehdnews@gmu.edu
- School of Recreation, Health, and Tourism: rht.gmu.edu
- Sport Medicine Assessemt Research & Testing Laboratory (S.M.A.R.T.): smartlab.gmu.edu
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