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    Help Improve How Brain Injuries Are Treated

    Help Improve How Brain Injuries Are Treated

    Man sitting at a computer in a hospital working

    Researchers from Intermountain's Hyperbaric Medicine group are looking at brain scan data from healthy people who’ve never had brain injuries — and they’re looking for volunteers who’d like to participate in the study. 

    The purpose of the study and how it will work: 

    Currently, traditional electroencephalograms (EEGs) are used to diagnose abnormal brain conduction, which accompanies many types of brain injury, such as concussion or carbon monoxide poisoning. That’s done by placing electrodes on the scalp and recording the electrical activity of the brain for about an hour. The results look like an EKG reading, with wavy lines across a piece of paper. But now, EEG readings can be enhanced by quantifying the data with a super calculator that examines patterns and provides a new way of looking at the traditional information gathered during an EEG. During the study, researchers hope to gather enough evidence to show that quantitative electroencephalogram, or qEEG, data is a better way to diagnose and treat brain injury patients. They hope the information they gather will speed up the diagnosis process and improve patients’ quality of life and long-term outcomes. 


    Who’s invited to participate in the study: 

    Generally healthy, non-smoking men and women between 18 and 55 who are willing to take a drug test, people who aren’t taking any medications (although vitamins and anti-depressants are okay, and so are ACE inhibitors and cholesterol lowering medications if you’re over age 45), and people with no prior history of brain injury or dysfunction (including concussions).

    How to get involved:

    If you’d like to participate or want more information, contact Jeanette Davis, Clinical Research Coordinator, at 801.408.5278 or jeanette.davis@imail.org. and please pass the word to anyone else who may be interested.