The Effect of Visual and Sensory Performance on Head Impact Biomechanics in College Football Players
Abstract
The development of prevention strategies is critical to address the rising prevalence of sport-related concussions. Visual and sensory performance may influence an individual’s ability to interpret environmental cues, anticipate opponents’ actions, and create appropriate motor responses limiting the severity of an impending head impact. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between traditional and visual sensory reaction time measures, and the association between visual and sensory performance and head impact severity in college football players. Thirty-eight collegiate football players participated in the study. We used real-time data collection instrumentation to record head impact biomechanics during games and practices. Our findings reveal no significant correlations between reaction time on traditional and visual sensory measures. We found a significant association between head impact severity and level of visual and sensory performance for multiple assessments, with low visual and sensory performers sustaining a higher number of severe head impacts. Our findings reveal a link between level of visual and sensory performance and head impact biomechanics. Future research will allow clinicians to have the most appropriate testing batteries to identify at-risk athletes and create interventions to decrease their risk of injurious head impacts.
Keywords
Concussion Football Injury prevention Kinematics Mild traumatic brain injury Sports biomechanics VisionNotes
Acknowledgments
This study was supported in part by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment. None of the authors have any financial interest in any of the systems used for this study. We thank Nike for the provision of equipment used in this study.
References
- 1.2010–11 High School Athletics Participation Survey, 2011, The National Federation of State High School Associations. pp. 51–66.Google Scholar
- 2.Bailes, J. E., and R. C. Cantu. Head injury in athletes. Neurosurgery 48:26–45; discussion 45–46, 2001.Google Scholar
- 3.Beckwith, J. G., R. M. Greenwald, and J. J. Chu. Measuring head kinematics in football: correlation between the head impact telemetry system and Hybrid III headform. Ann. Biomed. Eng. 40:237–248, 2012.PubMedCentralPubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
- 4.Bracken, N. NCAA® Sports Sponsorship and Participation Rates Report, 2007. Indianapolis: The National Collegiate Athletic Association.Google Scholar
- 5.Crisco, J. J., J. J. Chu, and R. M. Greenwald. An algorithm for estimating acceleration magnitude and impact location using multiple nonorthogonal single-axis accelerometers. J. Biomech. Eng. 126:849–854, 2004.PubMedGoogle Scholar
- 6.Dick, R., M. S. Ferrara, J. Agel, R. Courson, S. W. Marshall, M. J. Hanley, and F. Reifsteck. Descriptive epidemiology of collegiate men’s football injuries: National Collegiate Athletic Association Injury Surveillance System, 1988–1989 through 2003–2004. J. Athl. Train. 42:221–233, 2007.PubMedCentralPubMedGoogle Scholar
- 7.Duma, S. M., S. J. Manoogian, W. R. Bussone, P. G. Brolinson, M. W. Goforth, J. J. Donnenwerth, R. M. Greenwald, J. J. Chu, and J. J. Crisco. Analysis of real-time head accelerations in collegiate football players. Clin. J. Sport Med. 15:3–8, 2005.PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
- 8.Eckner, J. T., J. S. Kutcher, and J. K. Richardson. Pilot evaluation of a novel clinical test of reaction time in national collegiate athletic association division I football players. J. Athl. Train. 45:327–332, 2010.PubMedCentralPubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
- 9.Eckner, J. T., R. D. Whitacre, N. L. Kirsch, and J. K. Richardson. Evaluating a clinical measure of reaction time: an observational study. Percept. Mot. Skills 108:717–720, 2009.PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
- 10.Erickson, G. B., K. Citek, M. Cove, J. Wilczek, C. Linster, B. Bjarnason, and N. Langemo. Reliability of a computer-based system for measuring visual performance skills. Optometry 82:528–542, 2011.PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
- 11.Gessel, L. M., S. K. Fields, C. L. Collins, R. W. Dick, and R. D. Comstock. Concussions among United States high school and collegiate athletes. J. Athl. Train. 42:495–503, 2007.PubMedCentralPubMedGoogle Scholar
- 12.Gualtieri, C. T., and L. G. Johnson. Reliability and validity of a computerized neurocognitive test battery, CNS Vital Signs. Arch. Clin. Neuropsychol. 21:623–643, 2006.PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
- 13.Guskiewicz, K. M., and J. P. Mihalik. Biomechanics of sport concussion: quest for the elusive injury threshold. Exerc. Sport Sci. Rev. 39:4–11, 2011.PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
- 14.Holbourn, A. H. S. The mechanics of brain injuries. Br. Med. Bull. 3:147–149, 1945.Google Scholar
- 15.Kabat, M. H., R. L. Kane, A. L. Jefferson, and R. K. DiPino. Construct validity of selected Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metrics (ANAM) battery measures. Clin. Neuropsychol. 15:498–507, 2001.PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
- 16.Langlois, J. A., W. Rutland-Brown, and M. M. Wald. The epidemiology and impact of traumatic brain injury: a brief overview. J. Head Trauma Rehabil. 21:375–378, 2006.PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
- 17.Martell, S. G., and J. N. Vickers. Gaze characteristics of elite and near-elite athletes in ice hockey defensive tactics. Hum. Mov. Sci. 22:689–712, 2004.PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
- 18.McCrory, P., W. Meeuwisse, K. Johnston, J. Dvorak, M. Aubry, M. Molloy, and R. Cantu. Consensus Statement on Concussion in Sport—The 3rd International Conference on Concussion in Sport Held in Zurich, November 2008. PM R, Vol. 1, pp. 406–420, 2009Google Scholar
- 19.Mihalik, J. P., D. R. Bell, S. W. Marshall, and K. M. Guskiewicz. Measurement of head impacts in collegiate football players: an investigation of positional and event-type differences. Neurosurgery 61:1229–1235, 2007.PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
- 20.Mihalik, J. P., J. T. Blackburn, R. M. Greenwald, R. C. Cantu, S. W. Marshall, and K. M. Guskiewicz. Collision type and player anticipation affect head impact severity among youth ice hockey players. Pediatrics 125:e1394–e1401, 2010.PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
- 21.Ocwieja, K. E., J. P. Mihalik, S. W. Marshall, J. D. Schmidt, S. C. Trulock, and K. M. Guskiewicz. The effect of play type and collision closing distance on head impact biomechanics. Ann. Biomed. Eng. 2011.Google Scholar
- 22.Ommaya, A. K., and T. A. Gennarelli. Cerebral concussion and traumatic unconsciousness. Correlation of experimental and clinical observations of blunt head injuries. Brain 97:633–654, 1974.PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
- 23.Rowson, S., and S. M. Duma. The Virginia tech response. Ann. Biomed. Eng. 40:2512–2518, 2012.PubMedCentralCrossRefGoogle Scholar
- 24.Rowson, S., and S. M. Duma. Brain injury prediction: assessing the combined probability of concussion using linear and rotational head acceleration. Ann. Biomed. Eng. 41:873–882, 2013.PubMedCentralPubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
- 25.Savelsbergh, G. J., J. Van der Kamp, A. M. Williams, and P. Ward. Anticipation and visual search behaviour in expert soccer goalkeepers. Ergonomics 48:1686–1697, 2005.PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
- 26.Segalowitz, S. J., P. Mahaney, D. L. Santesso, L. MacGregor, J. Dywan, and B. Willer. Retest reliability in adolescents of a computerized neuropsychological battery used to assess recovery from concussion. NeuroRehabilitation 22:243–251, 2007.PubMedGoogle Scholar
- 27.Stine, C. D., M. R. Arterburn, and N. S. Stern. Vision and sports: a review of the literature. J. Am. Optom. Assoc. 53:627–633, 1982.PubMedGoogle Scholar
- 28.van der Kamp, J. Exploring the merits of perceptual anticipation in the soccer penalty kick. Mot. Control 15:342–358, 2011.Google Scholar
- 29.Viano, D. C., C. Withnall, and D. Halstead. Impact performance of modern football helmets. Ann. Biomed. Eng. 40:160–174, 2012.PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
- 30.Williams, A. M., K. Davids, L. Burwitz, and J. G. Williams. Visual search strategies in experienced and inexperienced soccer players. Res. Q. Exerc. Sport 65:127–135, 1994.PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
- 31.Zhang, L., K. H. Yang, and A. I. King. A proposed injury threshold for mild traumatic brain injury. J. Biomech. Eng. 126:226–236, 2004.PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
- 32.Zimmerman, A. B., K. L. Lust, and M. A. Bullimore. Visual acuity and contrast sensitivity testing for sports vision. Eye Contact Lens, 2011.Google Scholar