Concussion through the lens of network neuroscience

November 6, 2025 @ 11:00 am to 12:00 pm

Douglas Schultz, University of Nebraska, Lincoln

110 Henderson Building
University Park

Abstract:
Concussion is a significant public health issue with millions diagnosed each year. While great strides have been made in understanding the effects of concussion on the brain using functional imaging, neuroimaging is yet to produce a clinically meaningful biomarker. There are a number of challenges that contribute to this gap of knowledge. I will discuss the results of a multi-modal, longitudinal neuroimaging study of concussion that was designed to address some of these challenges. Briefly, we have found changes in the functional and structural (white matter) organization of the brain acutely following injury. These changes in the brain are related to symptom load and cognitive disruptions. While many of these changes in brain resolve by the time athletes are cleared to return to contact, some persist. Our results suggest that longitudinal designs in concussion research may provide a path forward to identify a clinically meaningful neuroimaging biomarker.

About the Speaker:
Doug Schultz is a Research Assistant Professor in the Center for Brain, Biology and Behavior and the Department of Psychology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He received his PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2014. He subsequently worked as a postdoctoral fellow at Rutgers University-Newark. He was hired as a Research Assistant Professor in the Center for Brain, Biology and Behavior at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2018.

The goal of my research program is to understand how the brain supports complex behavior. My research program addresses this goal in several ways. I am particularly interested in one aspect of human intelligence, cognitive control. Cognitive control is a set of processes involved in selecting and monitoring behaviors to accomplish goals. Part of my research program involves examining how structural and functional properties of the brain support cognitive control. Complex human behavior can also be disrupted in multiple ways. My research program is also focused on better understanding behavioral disruptions with the goal of informing interventions that can address these disruptions. Concussion is a form of mild traumatic brain injury characterized by diverse symptoms and outcomes. I have focused on identifying the brain network disruptions caused by concussion with the goal of improving diagnosis and treatment.

Contact

Janine Kwapis
jlk855@psu.edu