A new digital headset designed to measure alterations in brain function could change decisions about how quickly an athlete is ready to return to play after a concussion. In an evaluation of the device, researchers found it revealed brain changes even in athletes whose concussion symptoms had gone away, suggesting they could be playing too soon.
A new digital headset designed to measure alterations in brain function could change decisions about how quickly an athlete is ready to return to play after a concussion. In an evaluation of the device, UC San Francisco researchers found it revealed brain changes even in athletes whose concussion symptoms had gone away, suggesting they could be playing too soon.
The headset -- patented by UCSF and licensed by MindRhythm, a medical technology company -- picked up changes in what the researchers call"headpulse," which are subtle forces exerted on the skull as the heart contracts. "We found a mismatch between symptoms and changes in biometrics recorded by the device," said Cathra Halabi, MD, of the UCSF Department of Neurology and the Weill Institute for Neurosciences, who is the first author of the study."This raises concern about relying on symptoms for return-to-play decisions. Delays could be recommended for those symptom-free athletes if head pulse abnormalities persist.
"Recurrent concussions in close succession can lead to more debilitating symptoms that last longer, keeping athletes out of the game," Halabi said.
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