New technology aimed at preventing traumatic brain injury

Head injuries are always a concern when it comes to impact sports. A new tool is now being used to gauge the speed and force of impacts sustained in competitive sports that researchers hope will one day help prevent future traumatic brain injuries.

“Anyone who has seen the 2015 biographical sports drama, Concussion, featuring Will Smith as a Pittsburgh forensic pathologist, already knows that sports-related head injuries have repeatedly made headlines over the last decade,” an article in Medical-Expo E-Magazine reads. “As the neurobehavioral problems associated with such traumatic brain injuries are increasingly analyzed, trainers and team physicians are attempting to prevent injuries by gaining a better understanding of the forces at play.”

According to the article, scientists are still working to establish baseline brain function parameters. In the meantime, constant monitoring of in-game impacts may help limit injuries.

“It is difficult to accurately assess the intracranial damage produced by a blow to the head without significant medical testing. Measuring the acceleration of the head during the blow, however, can give us a good idea of potential injury,” the article reads. “One company responding to the increasing concern over TBI is BlackBox Biometrics (B3). Founded in 2011, the Rochester, New York company has developed a small, wireless sensor and app that can detect blows and measure head acceleration during training and competition.”

The device was first developed to measure the impact of explosion shock waves in soldiers on the battle field. It fits snuggly against the skull on a fabric headband and can wirelessly transmit the strength of potentially concussive forces to a recording app.

The measurements can also assist parents, trainers and coaches in making prompt decisions when it comes to training and treatment following an injury.

Brainscope, a Maryland-based neurotechnology company is also currently working to develop a new generation of handheld systems for evaluating TBI symptoms in mild concussions.

“Beyond the professional sports arena, more and more parents are worried about the TBI risks faced by their children,” the article reads. “Increasingly sophisticated sensors from companies such as B3 can’t prevent potentially damaging impacts, but they do provide useful, timely information.”