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Welcome to the Colorado Concussion Research Laboratory
Lab Director, David Howell, PhD, ATC
Welcome to the Colorado Concussion Research Laboratory
Our research focuses on the diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, and prevention of concussions. Overall, we seek to improve the clinical care for individuals who sustain a concussion by understanding ways to improve diagnosis, recovery monitoring, prognosis, and rehabilitation following injury.
The current projects we are working on include:
- The role of physical activity and aerobic exercise to optimize healing after a concussion.
- Movement deficits after a concussion.
- Predictors of recovery and future injury risk after a concussion.
- The physiology underlying post-injury deficits, and how treatment can modify physiological markers of function.
- How sleep affects post-concussion recovery and clinical presentation.
- How cervical spine dysfunction modulates post-concussion recovery.
- Patient-specific factors that affect short- and long-term recovery.
- Mental health difficulties are experienced throughout recovery and beyond.
Research
The overarching goal of our research is to evaluate quantitative measures that are capable of identifying neurological deficits following concussion, their physiologic underpinnings, and their long-term consequences. By monitoring recovery and determining biological predictors of long-term outcomes following concussion, we are working towards establishing a framework to better understand effective methods to allow athletes with a concussion to reintegrate back into safe sport participation. Our work primarily focuses on the following areas of concussion research.
Movement Deficits Following Concussion
Concussion has been documented to affect gait and postural control, however many of the techniques used in clinical practice rely on subjective evaluative methods. We are working on ways to quantify motor performance, particularly under dual-task conditions, as an assessment approach to determine sports readiness following a concussion. Through our work, we hope to translate our findings from the laboratory to clinical settings.
GDC spoke with concussion experts from Children’s Hospital Colorado
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GDC spoke with concussion experts from Children’s Hospital ColoradoOpens in a new window
Mar 20, 2025With spring sports season in session, there are few things you as parents should be aware of. March is ‘National Brain Injury Awareness Month,’ and GDC spoke with a couple of concussion experts to tell us the biggest signs to look out for if your child may suffer from a brain injury. Their concussion program and medical team can help your kid get back to feeling like themselves.Opens in a new window Full story
Publications
Contact Us
Contact Us
Howell Lab
13123 East 16th Avenue,
Box 060
Aurora, CO 80045
Office: 720-777-1502