Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Head Impact Density: A Model To Explain the Elusive Concussion Threshold.

Steven P Broglio1, Andrew Lapointe1, Kathryn L O'Connor1

  • 11 Neurotrauma Research Laboratory, University of Michigan Injury Center , Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Journal of Neurotrauma
|April 7, 2017
PubMed
Summary

Impact Density, a new measure of head impacts, reveals concussion risk is influenced by the time between impacts, not just magnitude. This finding highlights physiological vulnerability to repeated head trauma in athletes.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Polygenic Score Identifies Athletes at Increased Risk for Slower Recovery After Sport-Related Concussion: A Concussion Assessment, Research, and Education (CARE) Consortium Study.

Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.)·2026
Same author

Reliable Change of Blood-Based Biomarkers Following Acute Sport-Related Concussion: A CARE Consortium Study.

Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.)·2026
Same author

The association between sleep duration and computerized neurocognitive testing outcomes at baseline and post injury in US service academy cadets and midshipmen: findings from the CARE Consortium.

Journal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine·2026
Same author

Sex, but not exposure-related variables, predicts baseline serum glial fibrillar acidic protein and neurofilament light levels in contact sport athletes.

BMJ open sport & exercise medicine·2026
Same author

Mini Symptom Index Tool plus modified Vestibular-Ocular Motor Screening (mSIT Plus) for acute concussion identification: findings from the NCAA-DoD CARE Consortium.

British journal of sports medicine·2026
Same author

Protocol for Development of an Evidence-Based Rapid Readiness Screen.

Neurosurgery practice·2026

Area of Science:

  • Sports Medicine
  • Biomechanics
  • Neurology

Background:

  • Concussion is a complex brain injury with varied causes.
  • Previous research on concussive biomechanics has limited predictive sensitivity due to focusing on single impact variables.
  • Understanding the cumulative effects of head impacts is crucial for injury risk assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of Impact Density in predicting concussive injury risk.
  • To determine if the time between head impacts influences concussion susceptibility.
  • To analyze the biomechanics of head impacts in high school football players.

Main Methods:

  • Collected head impact data using the Head Impact Telemetry System (HIT System) over seven football seasons.
  • Analyzed linear and rotational acceleration of impacts for concussed athletes and matched controls.
Keywords:
concussionhead impactslinear and rotational acceleration

Related Experiment Videos

  • Calculated Impact Density by summing acceleration magnitude divided by time from the previous impact for the final 20 impacts.

    • Main Results:

    • No significant differences were found in impact counts or magnitudes within the final 24 hours or 20 impacts between concussed and control athletes.
    • Concussed athletes exhibited significantly higher linear and rotational Impact Density compared to control athletes.
    • Individual impact magnitudes did not differentiate between concussed and control groups, but Impact Density did.

    Conclusions:

    • Impact Density is a more sensitive metric than individual impact magnitude for identifying concussion risk.
    • The time between head impacts, in addition to magnitude, plays a critical role in concussion development.
    • Repeated head impacts, particularly with short intervals, may increase physiological vulnerability to concussion.