In the race to reduce concussions, the sports world has included mouth guards, skull caps with sensors and helmets that have been designed to counteract rotational forces.
Last Tuesday, Performance Sports Group, the parent company of Bauer Hockey, unveiled another device that they believe can ultimately reduce the number of concussions by addressing the “slosh theory.”
Slosh is the movement of the brain, which is floating in cerebrospinal fluid inside the skull. When the head experiences an impact, the brain sloshes inside the skull and can rotate or strike the inside walls of the cranium, often tearing brain fibers.
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Performance Sports Group’s product is a band that is worn on the neck, which would constrict the outflow of blood from the head, by applying light pressure to the jugular veins. The result would be a mild increase in blood volume within the skull, which would create less room for the brain to move around during trauma, almost forming a natural cushion against potential damage.
In a video presentation talking about the band, Dr. Charles Tator, senior specialist at Toronto Western Hospital and one of Canada’s leading concussion experts told TSN.ca, “It reduces the slosh effect. If something can be done to prevent the jiggle, as these scientist have postulated, then I think it is something we should pay attention to.”
The potential breakthrough is the first product to attempt to prevent concussions using the body’s natural physiology rather than an external device like a helmet.
Chief Executive Officer of Performance Sports Group, told TSN.ca in New York on Tuesday, that they hope to perform enough research to bring the product to the market within the next year or two. The device would not be sports specific either, as it could be used for hockey, football, soccer, baseball and even running.
At least one concussion expert has expressed concerns regarding the product though. Chris Nowinski from the Concussion Legacy Foundation and former WWE wrestler, who is both a Ph.D candidate and co-founder of Boston University’s CTE Center, said “I think it is incredibly early to get excited about a product like this, there is no way enough research can be done in 12 months to bring this product to the market. What happens when you elevate the cranial pressure every day in a young person?”
Nowinski added, “There are serious potential risks for messing with a person’s cranial pressure. There are risks of brain bleed and other long term effects that need to be explored.”
Dr. Gregory Myer, Director of Research for the Division of Sports Medicine at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, refuted Nowinski’s concerns in a phone interview with TSN.ca saying, that the blood volume in the skull while the band is worn is the same as in the “compensatory reserve,” that shifts in a person when lying down. It is something the body naturally adjusts every day.
Myers added, “It is supposed to fell normal, the intracranial pressure itself does not change.”
Myers did say that while the research so far is still in the preliminary stages, studies conducted in Ohio with high school hockey players wearing the band seemed to be promising. He told TSN.ca that the research has been conducted using medical imaging and brain scans to make sure the outcomes are “objective in nature.”
Participants who have taken part in the study and field tests of the product have reported that produces a temporary sensation, similar to buttoning a collar to tightly or wearing a snug necktie.
One of the principals involved in the project is Dr. Julian Bailes, chairman of neurosurgery at NorthShore University Healthsystem in Illinois. Bailes will happen to be portrayed in Will Smith’s upcoming movie “Concussion” by Alec Baldwin.
Nowinski also told TSN.ca that believes the product will produce minimal results and is primarily designed to lure parents of athletes willing to spend money in the name of potential brain protection. He said, “I am not sure it will ever be proven to work, it is incredibly tough to study. If you put a band on someone’s neck, then run tests, there will be a big placebo effect with those who report fewer effects because they feel like it is something that should help them.”
Bauer’s parent company vows to explore it more, as no matter how small the chance any product increases the protection for the brain is worthwhile.
Dr. Tator added, “Will the device do what the theory suggests? That can only be determined by research. Helmets do not prevent concussions. We have to think about other strategies. Let’s try to solve this concussion problem so we can keep our kids active.”
The idea for the band was partly spurred by a research study that indicated concussions occurred 30 percent less frequently in stadiums at high altitudes. At the higher altitude, it has been found that the body tends to naturally compensate with increased cerebral blood flow to aid in oxygenation.
