To help foster a sense of community among University of Michigan Concussion Center members, the center hosted a Concussion & Cocktails research presentation in October featuring Hayley Falk, a PhD student in the Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, and Dr. Fred Korley, associate professor of Emergency Medicine. 

Falk shared research from her publication “A Prognostic Model for Predicting 1-Month Outcomes among Emergency Department Patients with GCS 15 TBI.” She developed a prognostic model to help predict emergency department (ED) patients presenting with a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of 15 (after sustaining a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI)) who would have incomplete recovery one-month post-concussion.

According to Falk, there is not a well-defined model that can be used to predict outcomes for patients who come into the ED with an mTBI. Not having this type of model can become a barrier to improving patient clinical care because physicians in the ED are not able to quickly identify patients who would benefit from additional follow-up treatment and care. 

She noted while the prognostic model still needs external validation, the study showed it has the ability to help identify those at risk of incomplete recovery and inform clinical care decisions in the ED setting. 

Members in attendance asked questions throughout the presentation about the variables used in the model and how the Glasgow Outcome Scale Extended (GOSE) was defined. Following the presentation, discussions led by Dr. Korley, Falk, and various audience members centered around further concussion-specific applications for the model and how it could be used in different population settings. 

The goal of Concussion & Cocktails presentations is to bring center members together in a casual forum to highlight member research and continue developing cross-campus relationships. The next Concussion & Cocktails event will take place in spring 2023. More information will be shared in upcoming Concussion Corners.