Queen’s University concussion expert Garth Smith is available to talk today about a UCLA study of NFL football players many are calling a “major breakthrough” that may change the way pro athletes are treated for concussions.

Previously, researchers could only discover proteins that show signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) after studying a player’s brain after he died. But researchers at UCLA have used brain scans to find the protein in five living former NFL players. Being able to find CTE in a living person will help doctors make advances in treatment.

Dr. Smith is a Queen’s School of Medicine professor who specializes in concussions and agrees this is an important study.

Please note Dr. Smith is only available for phone interviews.

To arrange an interview, please contact communication officers Michael Onesi (office: 613.533.6000 ext. 77513, michael.onesi@queensu.ca) or Anne Craig (office: 613-533-2877, Anne.Craig@queensu.ca) at Queen’s University News and Media Services Department in Kingston, Ont., Canada.

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