Mild traumatic brain injuries, more commonly referred to as concussions, have been an increasing focus in contact sports as more information about the dangers of head injuries is discovered. Medical researchers continue to link concussions to potential long-term consequences, and concussions in youth and collegiate athletes are now being taken more seriously than ever before.
In stride with the increasing priority on treating and preventing concussions in sports, the Sacred Heart University (Connecticut) men’s lacrosse team is now participating in a school study on concussion injuries and their effects on the brain.
Lacrosse players will be continuing to play as normal, fitted with typical protective helmets – but equipped with one new item that has been making a huge difference across many levels of contact sports – accelerometers in the each player’s helmet. Accelerometers are sensors designed to detect the amount of impact in G’s, or standard gravity acceleration, a player receives when hit by a ball, stick, another player or the ground. These sensors are already in broader use among football players of all age groups and are now making their way into other sports’ helmets – such as lacrosse and hockey. Professor Theresa Miyashita, the concussion study’s leader, said:
“It’s a very hot topic right now, as it should be. Every day new research is being done constantly so what we previously thought as the norm is no longer the fact.”
Players will be wearing the accelerometers in their helmets for the entire season, both in practice and games. The information received from each sensor is then uploaded and analyzed by a university research team. In addition to the gathered data, a number of other variables will be factored in to account for potential measurements of neuro-cognitive function, IQ scores, depression, drug and alcohol dependency, and concussion injuries.
Each player on the lacrosse team received baseline testing prior to the start of the season – and each will be given a post-test when the season is over. Some of the players have looked at their data and realized they experienced minor concussions and didn’t realize it.
Traumatic Brain Injury Statistics among Young Athletes
- According to the CDC, 173,285 cases of TBI were treated in emergency rooms for youth under age 19 from the years 2001-2009
- Athletes ages 16-18 account for 29% of all sports-related concussions
- 15.8% of football players who sustain a concussion severe enough to cause loss of consciousness return to play the same day
- 50% of “second impact syndrome” incidents – brain injury caused from a premature return to activity after suffering initial injury (concussion) – result in death
- Female high school basketball players suffer 240% more concussions than males (13,000)
- High school athletes who have been concussed are three times more likely to suffer another concussion in the same season
- High-school athletes sustain between 136,000 and 300,000 concussions per year
- In 2012, concussions represent 13.2% of injuries in 20 different high-school sports – 2/3 of concussions occur during competitive play and 1/3 occur during practice
- Nearly 62,000 children and teenagers are hospitalized for TBI each year
- US emergency rooms treat nearly 564,000 brain injuries in youth ages 0-19 each year, with at least 130,000 cases related to sports injuries
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