UBC researcher and Southern Medical Program student Sandy Wright.

Variations in blood flow may be the method to pin down brain trauma

Sports-related concussions are a major public health concern and are notoriously difficult to diagnose. But new research from UBC’s Okanagan campus provides a new tool to help test athletes for recent brain trauma.

“Diagnosing concussions relies heavily on patients reporting their symptoms. While there are other tests that may be used to help clinicians make a diagnosis, they can be extremely subjective, inaccurate and, frankly, easy to manipulate,” says study lead author, a Southern Medical Program student, and PhD candidate Alexander (Sandy) Wright. “Because concussions can’t be seen on standard brain imaging, the holy grail in the concussion world has been to devise a test that can objectively say whether or not a patient has suffered a mild brain injury.”

Using ultrasound equipment to measure the speed of brain blood flow, Wright and his collaborators in the School of Health and Exercise Sciences, measured the blood flow response to increased brain activity in the brains of 179 junior-level athletes before the athletic season.  Athletes who sustained concussions during the season completed the testing again at three time points after injury. Researchers found a clear link between the brain injury and changes to the brain’s blood flow response that were related to how long the athletes were sidelined from competition.

But Wright is quick to point out that sports-related concussions are extremely complex and that a single diagnostic tool—the Holy Grail—is unlikely. He suggests instead that his technique may be just one among a battery of tests that athletes may one day have access to.

“This is just one piece of an increasingly complicated puzzle,” he adds. “It could potentially be used alongside some other cutting-edge techniques being researched both in our lab at UBC Okanagan and around the world; including detecting blood biomarkers and advanced neuroimaging techniques.”

Wright says that this technique may one day help determine what degree and what type of concussion an athlete may have.

“The conversation over the past number of years suggests ‘concussion’ is not a single clinical entity, but rather a spectrum of slightly different brain injuries, all of which are difficult to detect,” he adds. “By developing some of these tests we’ve started to better understand how complex concussions really are.”

Ideally, he says, researchers will assemble a series of tests that will help objectively diagnose the injury and also provide some prognostic value and give clinicians an idea of how long brain healing might take

“The interesting part will be to assemble all of our objective tests into something that starts to resemble a grail.”

Wright’s research, recently published in the Journal of Neurotrauma, was funded by grants from the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, Canada Foundation for Innovation and Mitacs.

About UBC’s Okanagan campus

UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning in the heart of British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley. Ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world, UBC is home to bold thinking and discoveries that make a difference. Established in 2005, the Okanagan campus combines a globally recognized UBC education with a tight-knit and entrepreneurial community that welcomes students and faculty from around the world. For more visit ok.ubc.ca

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Research shows women outlast men during dynamic muscle exercises

UBC Assistant Professor Brian Dalton.

In the battle of the sexes, new UBC research suggests that men may be stronger physically but women have much greater muscle endurance than their male counterparts.

In a new study from UBC’s Okanagan campus, researchers in the School of Health and Exercise Sciences have found that women are considerably less exhausted after natural, dynamic muscle exercises than men of similar age and athletic ability.

“We’ve known for some time that women are less fatigable than men during isometric muscle tests – static exercises where joints don’t move, such as holding a weight – but we wanted to find out if that’s true during more dynamic and practical everyday movements,” says Assistant Professor Brian Dalton. “And the answer is pretty definitive: women can outlast men by a wide margin.”

In his study, done in collaboration with the University of Guelph and University of Oregon, Dalton recruited eight men and nine women that were at a similar level of physical fitness. Participants were asked to flex their foot against a suite of sensors as quickly as they could 200 times. The speed, power and torque of their movements and electrical activity of their muscles was then captured and recorded over time.

“We chose to measure foot movements because it makes use of calf muscles on the back of the leg, which are essential for practical, everyday tasks like standing and walking,” says Dalton. “What we found is that males were faster and more powerful at first but became more fatigued much faster than females.”

While only one isolated muscle group was studied, Dalton says he would expect similar results for other muscles groups and his results are consistent with what has been observed elsewhere.

“We know from previous research that for events like ultra-trail running, males may complete them faster but females are considerably less tired by the end,” he adds. “If ever an ultra-ultra-marathon is developed, women may well dominate in that arena.”

But it’s not all about competition. Dalton says his results can also inform more practical applications, such as designing exercise programs or even adapting work environments to minimize work-related fatigue and improve overall productivity.

“We may, for example, want to lower the load for males, even though they may be stronger at the outset, to more closely match the endurance observed in females,” he says. “Both sexes have valuable physical abilities and it only makes sense that we study and develop the tools to afford them the best advantage.”

“There’s no battle at all,” he jokes. “Maybe more of a balance of the sexes.”

The study appears in the June 2017 issue of Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism and was conducted with financial support from Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

About UBC’s Okanagan campus

UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning in the heart of British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley. Ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world, UBC is home to bold thinking and discoveries that make a difference. Established in 2005, the Okanagan campus combines a globally recognized UBC education with a tight-knit and entrepreneurial community that welcomes students and faculty from around the world. For more visit ok.ubc.ca

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First-year elective at UBC Okanagan introduces health competencies

UBC Okanagan students have a new elective course to consider this fall, as the university introduces the HEAL 100 course on health and wellbeing.

Developed over the past year by the School of Health and Exercise Sciences, HEAL 100 offers an in-depth look at health studies with an emphasis on student health – focusing on education, research and their impact on a variety of student health issues.

“The course is for first-year students, when they’re making that big transition to university,” says Sally Stewart, senior instructor in the School of Health and Exercise Sciences. “We want to give students the tools and techniques to really thrive in a university environment. We already offer health programs – human kinetics, nursing, and facets of health and wellbeing in psychology courses, for example – but this course is more for students to develop health competencies.”

A broad-based course, HEAL 100 explores all the dimensions of wellbeing and health including physiology, nutrition, mental health and wellbeing, sleep, and mindfulness.

In 2015, post-secondary institutions from around the world gathered at UBC Okanagan to develop an international charter for health-promoting universities and colleges. Known as the Okanagan Charter, the document is a commitment to embed health in campus policies and services, to create environments which support health and personal development, and to become communities with a culture of well-being.

“This course specifically is a way of putting wellbeing as a top priority for our UBC students,” says Stewart. “We want students to be well, so they can do well in their university life. Wellbeing is linked to academic success.”

Stewart notes that no matter what type of work graduates go into, they will take with them the health competencies learned through the HEAL 100 course.

“To me, that’s another huge benefit of this course,” says Stewart. “It can have long-term health implications in our broader community for years to come.”

Other than students in the Human Kinetics program, students from any faculty at UBC Okanagan may register for HEAL 100. Details are posted in the UBC Okanagan Academic Calendar.

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New recruits wanted for lifestyle-changing program and research project

Named for the three goals represented in the program—physical activity, healthy eating and teamwork—UBC’s HAT TRICK is back for its third period.

Associate Professor Cristina Caperchione, who teaches in UBC Okanagan’s School of Health and Exercise Sciences, has teamed up with the Kelowna Rockets, to offer a free, 12-week program for local men who are hoping to adopt a healthier lifestyle.

HAT TRICK is an innovative healthy lifestyle program to help local men increase physical activity, improve nutritional habits, and enhance their social connectedness. The researchers are joined by professionals with the Kelowna Rockets, including team trainers and nutritionists, as well as other community-based professionals who can coach participants to adopt new healthy habits.

“This particular program is unique in the sense that it allows us to use the facilities and resources available to our staff, coaches, trainers and our hockey players to relay a message of positive living and a healthy lifestyle,” says Anne-Marie Hamilton, with the Kelowna Rockets. “That’s all very much part of what our players, and the Rockets organization, are all about.”

The next session begins in September and new recruits are needed. While it takes place at Prospera Place, participants do not need to know how to skate or play hockey; in fact, no athletic ability is required. HAT TRICK is designed for men who fit all of the following criteria:

• Living in the Okanagan
• 35 years or older
• Accumulate less than 150 minutes of physical activity per week
• Have a pant size greater than 38 inches
• Have a Body Mass Index over 25 kg/m²

The weekly 90-minute sessions will be led by healthy lifestyle experts from the research team, Kelowna Rockets staff and other community health professionals. The group will meet Tuesday evenings until the end of November.

To learn more or to sign up, contact Kayla Fitzpatrick at kayla.fitzpatrick@ubc.ca, 250-807-8488 or visit: hattrick.ok.ubc.ca.

This UBC program is funded by the Canadian Cancer Society and is made up of a collaborative research team from UBC Okanagan, UBC Vancouver, Athabasca University and the University of Glasgow.

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More than 1,650 students will receive their degrees at UBC’s Okanagan campus this week.

For many, it’s one of the biggest milestones of their lives—graduating from university. At UBC’s Okanagan campus, nearly 1,650 students will reach that milestone this week as the university gears up for six convocation ceremonies.

Convocation starts Thursday, with four ceremonies, and wraps up Friday with two additional ceremonies. During these two days, UBC will confer 33 doctoral degrees, 148 master degrees, 1,465 undergraduate degrees and an honorary degree to Canadian artist Alex Janvier.

This is the twelfth graduating class at UBC’s Okanagan campus and the number of graduates has more than tripled since 2006, when UBC Okanagan’s very first graduating class of 468 crossed the stage.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the Okanagan campus Deborah Buszard says this year’s graduates join the more than 325,000 alumni who have successfully graduated from UBC and continue to be members of the UBC community.

“Members of this, our twelfth, graduating class have already shown themselves to be accomplished change-makers and innovators on campus and in the community,” says Buszard. “They are extraordinarily talented and I have no doubt they will be a force for positive change wherever they go.”

While Convocation is a time to celebrate students, UBC also recognizes outstanding faculty at the event. Ramon Lawrence, an associate professor in Computer Science and Christine Schreyer, an associate professor of anthropology, will be presented with the Award for Teaching Excellence and Innovation. And Security Manager Michael Gesi will be presented with the President’s Service Award for Excellence.

Convocation ceremonies will be webcast live at: graduation.ok.ubc.ca/event/live-webcast

Thursday, June 8

8:30 a.m.—Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences
All Ph.D., master, or undergrad degrees for students in: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Environmental Chemistry, Environmental Sciences, Freshwater Sciences, General Studies (Science), Interdisciplinary Studies (Sciences), Microbiology, Zoology

11 a.m.—Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences 
All Ph.D., master, or undergrad degrees for students in: Anthropology, Computer Science, Economics, Gender and Women’s Studies, General Studies (Arts), Geography, History, Indigenous Studies, Interdisciplinary Studies (BSAS – Arts), International Relations, Mathematics, Physics, Statistics

1:30 p.m.—Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences & Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies
All Ph.D., master, or undergrad degrees for students in: Art History, Creative Writing, Cultural Studies, English, French, Interdisciplinary Performance, Interdisciplinary Studies (FCCS), Philosophy, PPE, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, Spanish, Visual Arts

4 p.m.—Faculty of Applied Science: School Of Engineering
All Ph.D., master, or undergrad degrees for students in Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering

Friday, June 9

8:30 a.m.—Faculty of Education; Faculty of Management
All Ph.D., master, or undergrad degrees for Education, Interdisciplinary Studies, and Management

11 a.m.—Faculty of Health and Social Development: School of Health and Exercise Sciences; School of Nursing; School of Social Work
All Ph.D., master, or undergrad degrees for Human Kinetics, Interdisciplinary Studies, Nursing, and Social Work

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