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Can brainwaves predict baseball performance?

August 8, 2017 - The Ring

Many consider baseball to be one of the most difficult skills in any sport. So, what makes a batter successful? Some think it requires that the athlete be in “the zone”—a mental state in which performance is optimal. But what is “the zone”? Can it be quantified? Olav Krigolson, UVic neuroscientist, paired up with Anthony Pluta, a pro-ball-player-turned-grad-student to find out.

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Concussion and the Caped Crusader: Batman’s big screen impact

November 21, 2016 - Media tip

E. Paul Zehr and Bruce Wright survey the 10 big screen versions of Batman movies and assess each fight, accident and incident involving the Dark Knight for possible exposure to concussive impact.In the paper “Can Concussion Constrain the Caped Crusader?” the authors use Batman to highlight the cumulative effect of repetitive head injury.

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New hospital simulation centre enhances health students' learning

January 21, 2016 - The Ring

The tension in the operating room was palpable as the patient’s heart rate skyrocketed unexpectedly during surgery on her fractured ankle. Julie, the 19-year-old soccer player under local anaesthetic, worriedly asked what was wrong. The medical and nursing team reassured her as they quickly assessed and took action to stabilize her condition. Despite its location in the Royal Jubilee Hospital, this was not a typical operating room. Nor was Julie a typical patient; she’s actually a life-like mannequin. Both are part of the new $2.9-million Centre for Interprofessional Clinical Simulation Learning, a partnership between UVic’s School of Nursing, UBC’s Faculty of Medicine and Island Health.

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