The University of California Los Angeles joined a program that uses helmet sensors in football helmets to monitor head trauma, according to a report in the Orange County Register.
Here are five key notes on the program.
1. Football helmets at UCLA will include the sensors and the study participants will also undergo baseline testing for balance and cognitive memory. They will have blood testing for biomarkers that could show predisposition toward sustaining a concussion.
2. The sensors can show impact of the head trauma immediately and may influence the coach's decision to keep players out of practice or games because of the risks associated with significant second trauma before the first trauma has healed.
3. The sensors are designed to measure the hit's location to determine if there are more vulnerable locations. The location sensors can also alert coaches to poor technique.
4. The NCAA reports 10 percent of college football players sustain concussions in a single season, but some feel the estimate is low as a high percentage of concussions could go unreported.
5. The NCAA doesn't have an official policy on helmet sensors, as there are limitations to their use. The NFL decided not to implement the sensors in helmets due to potential accuracy issues and player privacy.