Below, ongoing Research Papers are indicated:

 

Date: 24 Jul 2013

 

 

HEAD IMPACT EXPOSURE IN YOUTH FOOTBALL: 

      ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AGES 9 - 12 YEARS AND THE EFFECT OF PRACTICE STRUCTURE

 

ABSTRACT

Head impact exposure in youth football has not been well-documented, despite children under the age of 14 accounting For 70% of all football players in the United States. The objective of this study was to quantify the head impact exposure of youth football players, age 9–12, for all practices and games over the course of single season. A total of 50 players (age = 11.0 ± 1.1 years) on three teams were equipped with helmet mounted accelerometer arrays, which monitored each impact players sustained during practices and games. During the season, 11,978 impacts were recorded for this age group. Players averaged 240 ± 147 impacts for the season with linear and rotational 95th percentile magnitudes of 43 ± 7 g and 2034 ± 361 rad/s2. Overall, practice and game sessions involved similar impact frequencies and magnitudes. One of the three teams however, had substantially fewer impacts per practice and lower 95th percentile magnitudes in practices due to a concerted effort to limit contact in practices. The same team also participated in fewer practices, further reducing the number of impacts each player experienced in practice. Head impact exposures in games showed no statistical difference. While the acceleration magnitudes among 9–12 year old players tended to be lower than those reported for older players, some recorded high magnitude impacts were similar to those seen at the high school and college level. Head impact exposure in youth football may be appreciably reduced by limiting contact in practices. Further research is required to assess whether such a reduction in head impact exposure will result in a reduction in concussion incidence.

• Bryan R. Cobb, 

• Jillian E. Urban, 

• Elizabeth M. Davenport, 

• Steven Rowson, 

• Stefan M. Duma, 

• Joseph A. Maldjian, 

• Christopher T. Whitlow, 

• Alexander K. Powers, 

• Joel D. Stitzel

 

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10439-013-0867-6

 

Associate Editor Peter E. McHugh oversaw the review of this article.

 

ABSTRACT**

 

While not "Research" specific, research is sited by noted medical institute and surgeon. To review the entire document, please see the URL below; EXCERPT:

 

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2014/01/football_head_hit_counts_progr.html#incart_river_default

 

Archetype, a Birmingham company that created the PlayerMD Biometric Headgear, sells sensors on skullcaps and head bands for either $150 or $250. The company recommends the more expensive products for athletes in high school, college and pro sports, and the cheaper version for youth sports.

Archetype teams with renowned surgeon Dr. James Andrews and his American Sports Medicine Institute in Birmingham. Hoover High School, Vestavia Hills High School and Troy University have used the sensors, said Dr. Jeffrey Dugas, a sports medicine surgeon at the Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Center and Troy's team physician.

 

"What we'd really like to see is a couple big schools say we're going to do it because we want to be part of solving this problem," said Dugas, who acknowledged he is a stockholder in Archetype with a vested interest in seeing the company succeed.

 

Concussions are deeply personal to Dugas. He is friends with former NFL running back Kevin Turner, who suffers from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and believes his debilitating disease is connected to concussions suffered in football.

 

"It's a horrifying problem," Dugas said. "It's not just football. We see a lot of concussions in the women's sports, especially in soccer."