Understanding the Health Effects of Sports-Related Impacts
EMERGE partnered with Penn State University to better understand head impacts and their effects on cognitive function, in order to make sports safer.
Problem
Head impacts in contact sports such as football, rugby, boxing, hockey, martial arts, rodeo, lacrosse, and wrestling can lead to brain injuries.
Solution
EMERGE developed mouthguards with an integrated accelerometer and gyroscope to record linear and angular accelerations of the skull. Ten Western Carolina University players wore these mouthguards during the 2023 season, resulting in data collection from 1,500 head impacts. Cognitive function (verbal memory, reaction time, visual motor speed, visual memory, and impulse control) was monitored throughout the season. Penn State used the instrument data along with finite element analysis to calculate the resulting strain on brain tissue.
Results
While the instrumented players were never officially diagnosed with a concussion, three severe collisions (involving acceleration greater than 30Gs) were detected, and cognitive impairment was observed. The data collected provides valuable insight into the effects of sports-related impacts and will enable future improvements in sports safety.
This project highlights a collaboration between an R1 research university and an emerging research institution, proving that diverse Institutes of Higher Education (IHEs) are valuable partners in conducting use-inspired research and translating that research into practice.