Wired Article on Use of Accelerometers to Measure Concussion Impacts
February 3rd, 2017 at 11:27 AM ^
OP avatar checks out
February 3rd, 2017 at 11:32 AM ^
Surprised they didn't mention the Virginia Tech research, which has been using this methodology for at least 15 years.
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Per_Brolinson/publication/8077599_…
February 3rd, 2017 at 2:43 PM ^
it did mentioned VT.
there are many different helmet impact detection on the market already. the article only mentioned one. helmet does not mechanically couple well and consistently with head, otherwise you won't see the helmet flying away during play. So the reliability of the measurement is questionable. Is this why NFL discontinue the program, i guess not. the impact data still provides a lot of useful information, it's just not necessarily accurate from impact to impact.
Also, accelerometers can only measure linear impact. It's not necessarily the only cause of the nuron damage (mainly due to excessive strain).
February 4th, 2017 at 1:38 PM ^
They mentioned Virginia Tech, but they didn't mention the Virginia Tech research, which pre-dates all the other research mentioned in the article.
February 3rd, 2017 at 11:41 AM ^
because as the body of the article points out, the real issue is the link between CTE and repetitive sub-concussive hits:
But even the most thorough sideline test would fail to identify what Robert C. Cantu, co-founder of Boston University’s CTE Center, calls “the elephant in the room”: sub-concussive events. Though less dramatic than high-grade concussions, these impacts still destroy neurons, and can occur many times per game—piling on additional long-term damage with each hit.
February 3rd, 2017 at 12:15 PM ^
Measuring the magnitude and multitude of the sub-concussive events is a big deal for player safety. Having actual measurements will lead to behavior modification, and help save our beloved game.
February 3rd, 2017 at 3:46 PM ^
February 3rd, 2017 at 3:56 PM ^
Great, now the refs can start throwing for targeting every time a lineman butts heads, and not just a defender trying to make a tackle, as the evidence of cause and effect will be undeniable. Then we can levy the appropriate 60 suspensions per game
February 3rd, 2017 at 7:26 PM ^
Thanks for sharing. I've written several news videos on the topic and found that the accelerometers are reliable at counting the number of hits but still have huge variance/error bars on the force and angle. That has made it hard to use them for the latter. It's not just smarter technology that we need, but also smarter uses of existing technology.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/video/helmet-sensors-reveal-the-real-impact-of-head-injuries/
Concussion diagnostics are also getting faster and more portable for the sideline, like eye-tracking and combination tests.