News & Studies

NOCSAE Voiding of Certification For Sensor-Equipped Helmets: A Big Blow To Player Safety

Last week many of the technology manufacturers who have been working diligently to produce products to make helmeted sports such as football safer were dealt a severe, if not crippling, blow by the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) when, out of the blue, it decided to view modification of helmets with third-party after-market add-ons as voiding its certification, which could only be regained if the helmet is retested with the add-on. Newcastle Racers wearing three different football helmets

Brooke de Lench believes that the new NOCSAE ruling voiding the certification for sensor-equipped helmets could not have come at a worse time, just as football - from the youth level to the NFL - is gearing up for the 2012 season. If not reversed or modified, de Lench fears that it will have harsh real-world consequences; not just on sensor manufacturers but on player safety and consumer choice.

Underreporting of Concussion By High School Athletes Continues Despite Increased Education

As many as four out of ten of possible concussions sustained by high school athletes are never reported to a coach or medical professional, with less than one in seven  'bell-ringers' being reported, finds an important new study.

Type, Age, Reconditioning History Do Not Affect Concussion Risk, Study Finds

The risk of sustaining a concussion in high school football is not effected by the brand, age or recondition status of the helmet, nor by the type of mouth guard worn, says a new study in the American Journal of Sports Medicine finds.

Baseline Neurocognitive Concussion Testing: Lack Of Sleep May Skew Results

Athletes who didn't get enough sleep the night before undergoing baseline concussion testing didn't perform as well as expected, say researchers presenting their work at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's 2013 Annual Meeting in Chicago, IL.

2013 STAR Helmet Ratings: NOCSAE Urges Results Be Viewed With Caution

NOCSAE warns parents, players, coaches, and administrators to consider the limitations in Virginia Tech's STAR ratings for football helmets and not to overemphasize the role helmets play in protecting against concussions at the expense of focusing attention on other steps that have a more immediate and much greater impact on concussion reduction.

“The Smartest Team: Making High School Football Safer” Screening at The Micheli Center June 26th

The Micheli Center for Sports Injury Prevention will be hosting a free screening of the just released documentary, "The Smartest Team," on Wednesday, June 26th at 6:00 p.m. Dr. William P. Meehan, III, Director of The Micheli Center for Sports Injury Prevention, and Brooke deLench, Founder of Moms TEAM, will be on hand after the screening to answer questions parents, coaches and athletes have about the making of the film or about concussions in general.

King-Devick Test: An Important Part of Sideline Concussion Screening Battery

A new study says that including the King-Devick test, a measure of fast eye movement, along with neurocognitive and balance testing as part of a battery of rapid concussion screening tools could improve assessment of athletes for suspected concussion on the sports sideline.

Multiple Concussion History, Recent Concussion Increase Risk Of Longer Recovery

Children and adolescents with a previous history of concussion take significantly longer to recover, with those with histories of two or more previous concussions or whose injury occurred within the past year at even greater risk of prolonged symptoms, finds an important new study in the journal Pediatrics.

Effects of Concussion on Higher Cognitive Function Persist In Teens, Study Says

Concussed adolescents have difficulty recovering the ability for high level thinking after injury and may require extended recuperation before full recovery of so-called 'executive function' is achieved, a new study finds, which adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that teenage athletes are particularly vulnerable to the lingering effects of concussion.

TGen and Riddell To Partner In Biomarker Study of Concussive Injuries

In a move that could help revolutionize football player safety, the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), and Riddell have announced plans for a joint research study designed to advance athlete concussion detection and treatment, guide development of new football headgear and further refine updates to player monitoring technology.
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