Brain Injury on Athletes in Contact Sports, Brain Safe, Government Shutdown, ABQ Mayoral Race

This week, in the wake of a national FRONTLINE documentary on the concussion crisis in the National Football League, NEW MEXICO IN FOCUS speaks with college and high school athletic officials and a neuroscientist about a new program designed to study and minimize the impact of brain injury on athletes in contact sports.

The Mind Research Network and the University of New Mexico unveiled Brain Safe this week. The program will give more than 200 UNM athletes MRI scans of brain structure, chemistry, connectivity and function to establish baseline readings. Every year, or after any acute injury, athletes will be scanned again and the results compared to their initial MRIs.

Neuroscientist Kent Kiehl with the Mind Research Network, and Paul Krebs, athletic director at UNM, will discuss the new protocol. Also joining the discussion will be Dusty Young, associate director of the New Mexico Activities Association, and Kevin Barker, football coach at Sandia High School, who will talk about procedures used in youth sports to minimize concussions.

The Line opinion panel discusses the impacts of the federal government’s shutdown, particularly with the news that the national laboratories will furlough most of their workers soon.

The panel also looks at the results of the Albuquerque mayoral race and city council races. A runoff is likely for one district in November and voters will also consider a proposed ban on late-term abortions on that same day.

The Line also assesses how the initial enrollment has progressed during the first week of the new health care exchange that began under the Affordable Care Act. There has been a spike in interest and enrollment, but the system has also had its share of glitches.

GUESTS:
Kevin Barker, Head Football Coach, Sandia High School
Kent Kiehl, Neuroscientist, The Mind Research Network
Paul Krebs, Athletic Director, UNM
Dusty Young, Associate Director, New Mexico Activities Association

LINE PANELISTS:
Dede Feldman, Former New Mexico Senator
Trip Jennings, New Mexico in Depth
Rob Nikolewski, Editor, Capitol Report New Mexico
Rachel Sams, Albuquerque Business First

HOST/COMMENTATOR: Gene Grant

The Producer of NEW MEXICO IN FOCUS is Megan Kamerick. Associate Producer is Kathy Wimmer. Funding for this program was provided in part by the McCune Foundation.

Episode 715 for air October 11, 2013