According CNN a new device, designed to prevent traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), has been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA has declared that the Q-Collar has been authorized for athletes over the age of 13 and that it can be used during football, soccer and other high-impact sports.
The device is a C-shaped collar designed to be worn at the base of the neck. The collar holds the blood vessels in the neck, increasing the amount of blood volume in the skull. This increase in blood volume limits how much the brain can move within the skull.
In general, TBIs and mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBIs) are believed to be caused by movement of the brain within the skull.
TBIs, which include potentially lethal brain bleeds, are caused by linear acceleration (back and forth / back and forth) of the brain within the skull. This type of movement can result in the brain impacting inside the skull, which can cause blood vessels to rupture. When the vessels rupture, blood can accumulate between the brain and the skull. These pools of blood put pressure on the brain. This pressure tends to cause lethal damage.
Many combat sports athletes died after suffering TBIs during fights. Among them are MMA fighters Tim Hague and João Carvalho and boxers Patrick Day and Maxim Dadashev.
The researchers behind the Q-Collar conducted a study of about 300 high school football players. In that study, they found that, after one season, 73% of players who did not wear the Q-Collar had changes in the deep structures of their brains. 77% of the players who used the collar had no significant changes in the same brain structures.
The Q-Collar has also been tested at the NFL level. Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly, who has a history of head injuries, used one during his last seasons in the NFL before retiring last year.
The FDA has stated that the Q-Collar has not demonstrated the ability to prevent symptoms associated with concussion and that it should not replace other protective equipment associated with sports activities.
MTBIs, commonly called ‘concussions’, are caused by the rotational acceleration of the brain inside the skull. The rotation of the brain causes it to release a protein known as tau. The brain does not need to collide with the inside of the skull to release tau.
The accumulation of tau in the brain causes chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). The symptoms of CTE range from headaches and vertigo to dementia and increased risk of suicide.