BALTIMORE – The National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) has awarded a $328,000 research grant to MedStar Research Institute, the research coordinators for the Sports Science & Safety Committee of US Lacrosse, the Baltimore-based national governing body for the sport of lacrosse. The grant will support a joint research initiative between US Lacrosse and MedStar Research Institute to study the mechanisms of concussion and the game situations that may result in a concussion within boys’ and girls’ high school lacrosse games. The study will incorporate computerized video analysis of 800 high school games over the 2008 and 2009 lacrosse seasons. This is the first grant that the NOCSAE has ever awarded to a lacrosse organization.

"This landmark research will help us to better understand how and why concussions occur in lacrosse so we can educate coaches, parents and players to recognize the injury and responsibly care for the injured player, as well as consider and advocate appropriate interventions that may decrease the incidence of injury" said Steve Stenersen, president and CEO of US Lacrosse.

The study will be directed by Dr. Andrew Lincoln of MedStar Research Institute and MedStar SportsHealth.

"We have a lot to learn about how concussions occur in lacrosse before we can prevent them," said Dr. Lincoln. "This study will help us understand whether there are specific mechanisms and activities in the boys’ game and the girls’ game when concussions are most likely to occur. The use of video has been used to study injuries in other sports, but this will be the first time it’s used with lacrosse."

The research project will be conducted within the Fairfax County (Va.) Public School system. US Lacrosse has worked with the FCPS for a number of years to conduct ongoing injury research in boys and girls high school lacrosse. Co-investigators include Jon Almquist, FCPS Athletic Training Administrator, and Dr. Shane Caswell of George Mason University.

MedStar Research Institute provides scientific, administrative, and regulatory support for research programs that complement the key clinical services and teaching programs of the MedStar Health system. The Institute translates the findings of biomedical and clinical research into improved techniques for disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment in support of the MedStar Health vision to advance health. To learn more about MedStar Research Institute, please visit www.medstarresearch.org.

As a recognized leader in sports health services in the Baltimore/Washington metropolitan area, MedStar SportsHealth provides a wide and varied range of organizational partnerships with teams, events and individuals to provide clinical, research and educational services. To learn more about MedStar SportsHealth, please visit www.medstarsportshealth.org.

US Lacrosse, a 501(c)(3) corporation, is the national governing body for men’s and women’s lacrosse. US Lacrosse has more than 250,000 members around the country. To learn more about US Lacrosse, please visit www.uslacrosse.org.