New technology is constituently changing the world of medical science. In this case in more thoroughly testing if a player is completely healed from concussions. The ImPACT Test or Immediate Post Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing evaluates players extensively which will greatly benefit players and protect them from worsening their condition. Player’s preseason take a baseline test which sets a standard for each individual of reaction time and memory. As the season progress and a player receives a concussion he takes the ImPACT test to rate the severity of his concussion. Then after a period of time and the sports trainer feels that the player has waited enough time that his or her concussion is healed the person retakes the test and if the score of the test is around the standard the test will pass the person and clear him or her for play. To insure the validity of the diagnoses of the players are correct, the test covers and diagnoses reaction time, memory, attention time, and problem solving. The ImPACT test has so many variations of the test, it is impossible for the test taker to become used to the questions and therefore do better on the test through a process of indirect studying. This also makes the ImPACT different than other neurological tests. The continued use and development of programs such as this one will drastically change how sports related concussions are diagnosed and dealt with. Hopefully this program has and will continue to save lives of athletes everywhere.
There is not all hope lost for players looking to play hard and are afraid of serious injuries from multiple concussion. Xenith, a football helmet maker has come out with a new helmet X1 which drastically pioneers and revolutionized helmet technology. There are discs inside the helmets which absorb the impact of the hit to the head and then harder hits the discs stiffen which keeps the head from the whiplash effect. The whiplash effect is the front to back or side to side snap of the head which then hits a hard force such as the ground or another player’s helmets. This effect is also very dangerous with modern day helmets which do not stiffen the neck so the head is accelerated at great velocities as the brain stem pivots increasing the speed of the head. The muscle in the neck are supposed to tense up when the head is about to receive a head to help mitigate this effect but when someone is whipped around or hit unexpectedly these muscles are useless to the head rapidly decelerating. As there is no ideal way to 100 percent prevent concussions. But, the composition of helmets have greatly evolved to foam padding to gel filled shock absorbing discs and air compression sacs which helmet diffuse the force of a blow. Hopefully one day scientists will finally make a helmet which can completely protect a head from concussions. But for now it is evident as football and other contact sports head injuries will be forever present and there will be a risk of youth being affecting their futures by these head injuries.
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