The Daily News-Journal from Murfreesboro, Tennessee • Page B1

HELEN Dr. Utpal Patel on the sidelines during college football game against FIU, on Oct. 17 in Murfreesboro, Tenn. THE DAILY NEWS JOURNAL SUNDAY 11 29 15 MURFREESBORO For more than 13 years, Murfreesboro physician Dr. Utpal Patel has been a team doctor for MTSU athletics in general and the football program in particular.

He has been instrumental in dev eloping the athletic concussion protocol and management policies. he policies come as national awareness for concussions in athletes has risen dramatically in recent years. It is estimated that anywhere from 4 to 5million athletes at all levels of competition from the pros to colleges to high schools to middle schools to youth sports suffer concussions during competition. The policies arrive squarely with mainstream awareness earlier this year when a collection of 5,000 former NFL players won a $1billion settlement against the NFL because of i ts handling of concussion prevention, awareness, diagnosis and treatment. Anew major motion picture titled tarring actors Will Smith and Alec Baldwin chronicles the findings about CTE chronic traumatic encepha- lopathy in NFL players and the actions and ill be released Christmas Day.

Two years ago, the Tennessee Senate unanimously passed a bill sponsored by State Sen. Jim Tracy that would provide protection for youth athletes who suffer concussions by preventing them from returning to play until cleared by a doctor. Dr. Patel has been a strong proponent of local imple- entation of ImPact, an online and immediate post- concussion assessment and cognitive test that is the ost widely used and most scientifically validated computerized concussion evaluation system available. ImPACT provides trained clinicians with neurocog- nitive assessment tools and services that have been edically accepted as state-of-the-art practices to determining safe return to play decisions.

ecently, Dr. Patel sat down with DNJ sports guest columnist Greg Pogue to discuss ImPact, the concussion program for MTSU athletics and the current and future state of concussion prevention, diagnosis and management on a variety of fronts. Here is their discussion: What exactly is ImPACT? Patel: ImPACT is the online neural cognitive testing. It was first put together in the 1970s by neuropsychologists. They wanted to find some way to better have objective testing for athletes, using it as baseline testing.

Then when somebody as a concussion to assess them not to diagnose a concussion, but to better assess their symptoms and what deficit they might be experiencing with a concussion. A nd then as we follow these athletes and also for non- athletes through their management of their concussion, we can see how well they are improving. Part of it i used to return to play and for managing their concussion episode. How does it work? Patel: a (program) on a computer, and it takes about 20 minutes to perform. It goes through about four or five different brain functioning assessments on the computer.

So, you are assessing visual memory. You are assessing reaction speed. You are assessing verbal memory. almost like taking the ACT, but you are ass essing different components of the brain. Each segment takes about five minutes or so.

Once you finish it, you have a composite score. Like with any test, there a re some limitations. You have to go through training for that, and then you can use that score compared to a normative data base and then compare to that athlete ne week later or two weeks later. Iunderstand that trainers, coaches, parents, athletes, everybody can use it so they can have that access to ImPACT. How do you get that access? DR.

PATEL: CONCUSSIONS IN SPORTS GREG POGUE FOR THE DAILY NEWS JOURNAL Meet Dr. Utpal Patel Age: 49 Family: Wife Tina; son Eshan, 15; daughter Mira, 12 Education: UT-Martin, B.S. Biology 1988; University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Medical Degree, 1992; Internship, 1992-93; Residency 1993-95 rofessional Affiliations: Tennessee Medical Association, American College of Physicians, American Society of Internal Medicine ivic Organizations: Physician Excellence Committee of Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital, Blue Raiders Athletic Association, Stones River Regional Independent Physician Organization obbies: Landscape gardening, travel, basketball, tennis and reading SeePatel, Page4B Patel Retreat, a rare jewel on Oak treet, is situated in the Front Street istoric District in Smyrna. This beautiful home is also known as the Dillon- Tucker-Cheney House or Chim- After the installation of central heating into the home in 1957, this land- ark adopted the name Retreat. oseph Dillon, a wealthy attorney, myrna merchant and Unionist legisla- or for Rutherford County, built the rick house in 1865.

He was a progress ive businessman and had a brother ho ran a general store in Smyrna. Dillon, a supporter of the Northern ause, departed Smyrna soon after the Civil War. original construction of the house was in the Greek Revival style ith four, two-story columns, a front ortico, as well as Italianate architect ure with a low roof and porch. The i nterior had a freestanding, circular staircase with walnut rails. After Dill on vacated Smyrna, the house was urchased in 1882 by John F.

Tucker, whose father, Major Silas Tucker, donated the original land for the town of myrna. The sprawling Tucker plantation covered much of our modern-day ity. The house remained with the ucker lineage until inhabited by the legant Cheney family. he well-known and respected prop rietor of this home was Brainard Cheney, a prolific novelist from Retreat served as gathering of famed writers Susan Harber HISTORY LESSON SUBMITTED Joseph Dillon, a wealthy attorney, Smyrna merchant and Unionist legislator for Rutherford ounty, built the brick house in 1865. SeeHaarber, Page4B.