More News
Scientific Study of mouth guard able to sense head impacts
Scientific Study of mouth guard able to sense head impacts
Scientific Study of mouth guard able to sense head impacts
Dr Pearce is managing a world-first scientific study in conjunction with La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia, to validate this exciting new technology.
The Nexus A9 mouth guard has been developed by Hit IQ, an Australian company, and is designed to provide data to assist medical professionals diagnose concussion by providing scientific based information on head impacts. A successful trial will see the scientific data replace the currently observational assessment currently used.
"Looking after Brain Health playing sport”
Scientific Study of mouth guard able to sense head impacts
Scientific Study of mouth guard able to sense head impacts
How should clubs address sports-related concussion
A community presentation by Dr Alan Pearce
Concussion is a matter at all levels of sport. In this presentation Alan discusses this important issue from the perspective of community sport.
The first presentation was in Shepparton, Victoria on October 19, 2017.
Alan Pearce in the media discussing concussion
Scientific Study of mouth guard able to sense head impacts
Alan Pearce in the media discussing concussion
Alan continues to seek greater research and knowledge on concussion as part of his role to help the community to understand more about this public health issue.
"We must find out more because at the moment it is not just about the answers, it is about asking the right questions. We need to ensure our children are not asking the same questions in 30 years time and we can only ensure this with independent research.
Hit IQ Nexus A9
La Trobe University
Alan Pearce in the media discussing concussion
La Trobe University
La Trobe University
La Trobe University
Alan Pearce presents at the (ACSM)
World First Study Findings
Alan Pearce presented findings from the first ever scientific study on head impacts in Australian Rules Football at the non-elite level at the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Annual Meeting in Minneapolis in early June.
Dr Pearce managed the world-first scientific study in conjunction with La Trobe University which involved 25-players from the Strathmore Football Club in the Essendon District League in Melbourne wearing an innovative instrumented mouth guard during the 2017 season.
“This was an important study for the community, both in terms of the findings and also on how we collected the data,” said Dr Pearce.
“Through the use of the instrumented mouth guard we were able to measure the intensity, location & direction of impacts to the players head and use this data to better understand the forces players sustain during a game.”
The results indicate players experienced an average of 8 to 10 impacts per game with the average impacts experienced by players being 33g. This force which equates to between 35 to 50% of what a boxer would experienced when being punched in the head.
Importantly for the community the study concluded the data available from the instrumented mouth guard will better inform medical personnel in the identification and evaluation of at-risk players for concussion.
The mouth guard is considered the best option for accurately measuring head impacts because it is connected directly to the skull through the upper jaw and the instrumented mouth guards used in this study has been developed by an Australian company, Hit IQ who supported the study with product and research funding.
Mike Vegar, Managing Director of Hit IQ, said the 2017 scientific field study was an important step in validating this innovative mouth guard technology (Nexus A9) and developing it for use in community and elite sport to assist the medical profession better understand concussion and help make a real difference in the community
“We are continuing to work with Dr Pearce and La Trobe University in this important community issue by being able to provide scientific data that will assist the medical professionals in both a practical setting and growing the concussion science.”
The American College of Sports Medicine is the largest sports medicine and exercise science organisation in the world with over 50,000 members and certified professional worldwide. The Annual Meeting was held in Minneapolis from May 29 to June 2, 2018.
Dr Alan Pearce at the ACSM in Minneapolis
Change the Mindset
Change the Mindset - Concussion Briefing
"We need to ensure we do the research to find the answers to ensure the next generation is not asking the same questions."
"We have a problem and while not everyone agrees on the issue we need to come together for the benefit of the community"
"This is not an emotional issue – this is real"
These are some of the key remarks from the "Change the Mindset" Concussion Briefing held in Melbourne in June, 2019. The key figures at the briefing were Associate Professor Alan Pearce, Clinical Associate Professor Michael Buckland the head of the Australian Sports Brain Bank from Sydney’s Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and Kerry Goulet the co-founder and ambassador of Stop Concussions Foundation from Canada.
A key topic of discussion was research and the importance of independent research to help the medical profession to assist the community through rehabilitation and minimizing the issue. It is about changing our mindset to concussion and head trauma, particularly in sport.
CTE
The issue of CTE which is not discussed in Australia but is a big issue in other parts of the world, in particular in the USA and Canada. The reason it has not been such an issue in Australia is because there has been virtually no research and it has been too easy to say it is not in Australia and we play different sports. It was agreed this is not appropriate and we must do more research.
One issue is that at this time CTE can only be diagnosed after death and the Australian Sports Brain Bank is an important step in this important research. However it is important that future donors are involved in ongoing research during their lives to provide further research to help our understanding of the issues.
- CTE does exist
- It is real
- It is the result of head trauma
We need stop debating this and put all our efforts into minimizing the issue and helping the community.
This starts with studying our sports and our athletes here in Australia.
Other key topics discussed included:
- Other long-term implications from head trauma
- Return to Play issues
- Concussions in junior athletes
It is important to remember this is not just about elite athletes this is about the community.
"Change the Mindset" Concussion Briefing notes will continue to be updated
Kerry Goulet, Clinical Professor Michael Buckland and Associate Professor Alan Pearce
Concern for athletes is not making footy soft
Fairfax Media Opinion article by Dr Alan Pearce
From time to time we hear people saying that the game of Australian Rules isn’t what it used to be.
Its value as a spectator sport has even caused the AFL to recently look into forming a working group, made up of former players, media personalities and commentators, to analyse the “look of the game”.
I can certainly appreciate that aspects of the modern game of Australian football are not to people’s liking, such as the length of matches or tactics like flooding or congestion. These have evolved from the professionalisation of the game, and should be addressed to ensure the sport remains entertaining and exciting to watch.
But while I applaud that concern for impacts to the head is now acknowledged more widely, I’m conscious that many still prioritise the “look of the game” over player safety, lamenting that the game has become “dull” or “soft” since it was “cleaned up”.
Researchers, like myself, investigating the effect of repetitive head impacts have never been about making the game “soft”.
Rather, we’re about ensuring our athletes, at all levels, are able to see out their careers until their natural end and – importantly – enjoy life when they retire.
We would never expect to prematurely retire because our workplace was unsafe, or because we sustained too many work-related injuries. We advocate for strict safety standards on building sites and in factories.
We even accept the importance of ergonomic desk set-ups in our air-conditioned offices.
But insist that our footballers, professional and amateur, should be able to play their sport without fear of being unnecessarily injured, and having their career cut short?
You can’t do that, it will make the game boring.
Don’t get me wrong, physicality in football codes is what attracts people to play and watch these sports. Incidental injuries are part and parcel of all sports. But unnecessary injuries, through dangerous tackles and behind the play biffs, are not part of a safe sporting workplace.
We lament when a young player makes an emotional announcement that their promising career has been cut short due to concern for their long-term brain health because of too many knocks to the head.
Yet we bemoan the softening of our national sport because of precautions being taken to protect the most important organ in the body.
We can’t have it both ways.
