Kara Hayes garnered lots of interest from Canadian neuroscientists during the Saturday afternoon poster symposium at the 2022 annual Canadian Association for Neuroscience (CAN) meeting at the Metro Toronto Convention Center.
Kara’s poster, titled “The persistent effects of sports-related concussion during adolescence on sensorimotor integration”, summarized their ongoing research into the persistent effects of sport-related concussion. Kara used an advanced non-invasive brain stimulation technique, known as controllable pulse parameter transcranial magnetic stimulation (cTMS), to probe differences in sensory-motor integration in those with and without a sport-related concussion history. The critical message from Kara’s poster is that concussion symptoms may be transient, but the brain develops persistent adaptations following the injury. These adaptations are typically inconsequential, except in moments where a movement is done in a unique or challenging context. Such breakdowns in sensory-motor integration may explain why those with a concussion history months to years prior are more prone to musculoskeletal injuries.