Head Acceleration Measurements Research Articles

Head Acceleration Measurement In Law Enforcement Officer Cadets During Defensive Tactics Training

Head Acceleration Measurement In Law Enforcement Officer Cadets During Defensive Tactics Training

Laboratory evaluation of climbing helmets: assessment of linear acceleration

This study utilized a guided free-fall drop tower and standard test headform to measure the peak linear acceleration (PLA) generated by different climbing helmet models that were impacted at various speeds (2–6 m s−1) and locations (top, front, rear, side). Wide-ranging impact performance was observed for the climbing helmet models selected. Helmets that produced lower PLAs were composed of protective materials, such as expanded polystyrene (EPS) or expanded polypropylene, which were integrated throughout multiple helmet regions including the front, rear and side. Climbing helmets that produced the highest PLAs consisted of a chinstrap, a suspension system, an acrylontrile butadiene styrene (ABS) outer shell, and an EPS inner layer, which was applied only to the top location. Variation in impact protection was attributed not only to helmet model but also impact location. Although head acceleration measurements were fairly similar between helmet models at the top location, impacts to the front, rear, and side led to larger changes in PLA. A 300 g cutoff for PLA was chosen due to its use as a pass/fail threshold in other helmet safety standards, and because it represents a high risk of severe head injury. All seven helmet models had the lowest acceleration values at the top location with PLAs below 300 g at speeds as high as 6 m s−1. Impact performance varied more substantially at the front, rear, and side locations, with some models generating PLAs above 300 g at speeds as low as 3 m s−1. These differences in impact performance represent opportunities for improved helmet design to better protect climbers across a broader range of impact scenarios in the event of a fall or other collision. An understanding of how current climbing helmets attenuate head acceleration could allow manufacturers to enhance next-generation models with innovative and more robust safety features including smart materials.

Consensus Head Acceleration Measurement Practices (CHAMP): Laboratory Validation of Wearable Head Kinematic Devices

Wearable devices are increasingly used to measure real-world head impacts and study brain injury mechanisms. These devices must undergo validation testing to ensure they provide reliable and accurate information for head impact sensing, and controlled laboratory testing should be the first step of validation. Past validation studies have applied varying methodologies, and some devices have been deployed for on-field use without validation. This paper presents best practices recommendations for validating wearable head kinematic devices in the laboratory, with the goal of standardizing validation test methods and data reporting. Key considerations, recommended approaches, and specific considerations were developed for four main aspects of laboratory validation, including surrogate selection, test conditions, data collection, and data analysis. Recommendations were generated by a group with expertise in head kinematic sensing and laboratory validation methods and reviewed by a larger group to achieve consensus on best practices. We recommend that these best practices are followed by manufacturers, users, and reviewers to conduct and/or review laboratory validation of wearable devices, which is a minimum initial step prior to on-field validation and deployment. We anticipate that the best practices recommendations will lead to more rigorous validation of wearable head kinematic devices and higher accuracy in head impact data, which can subsequently advance brain injury research and management.

Consensus Head Acceleration Measurement Practices (CHAMP): Origins, Methods, Transparency and Disclosure

The use of head kinematic measurement devices has recently proliferated owing to technology advances that make such measurement more feasible. In parallel, demand to understand the biomechanics of head impacts and injury in sports and the military has increased as the burden of such loading on the brain has received focused attention. As a result, the field has matured to the point of needing methodological guidelines to improve the rigor and consistency of research and reduce the risk of scientific bias. To this end, a diverse group of scientists undertook a comprehensive effort to define current best practices in head kinematic measurement, culminating in a series of manuscripts outlining consensus methodologies and companion summary statements. Summary statements were discussed, revised, and voted upon at the Consensus Head Acceleration Measurement Practices (CHAMP) Conference in March 2022. This manuscript summarizes the motivation and methods of the consensus process and introduces recommended reporting checklists to be used to increase transparency and rigor of future experimental design and publication of work in this field. The checklists provide an accessible means for researchers to apply the best practices summarized in the companion manuscripts when reporting studies utilizing head kinematic measurement in sport and military settings.

Use of Brain Biomechanical Models for Monitoring Impact Exposure in Contact Sports

Head acceleration measurement sensors are now widely deployed in the field to monitor head kinematic exposure in contact sports. The wealth of impact kinematics data provides valuable, yet challenging, opportunities to study the biomechanical basis of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and subconcussive kinematic exposure. Head impact kinematics are translated into brain mechanical responses through physics-based computational simulations using validated brain models to study the mechanisms of injury. First, this article reviews representative legacy and contemporary brain biomechanical models primarily used for blunt impact simulation. Then, it summarizes perspectives regarding the development and validation of these models, and discusses how simulation results can be interpreted to facilitate injury risk assessment and head acceleration exposure monitoring in the context of contact sports. Recommendations and consensus statements are presented on the use of validated brain models in conjunction with kinematic sensor data to understand the biomechanics of mTBI and subconcussion. Mainly, there is general consensus that validated brain models have strong potential to improve injury prediction and interpretation of subconcussive kinematic exposure over global head kinematics alone. Nevertheless, a major roadblock to this capability is the lack of sufficient data encompassing different sports, sex, age and other factors. The authors recommend further integration of sensor data and simulations with modern data science techniques to generate large datasets of exposures and predicted brain responses along with associated clinical findings. These efforts are anticipated to help better understand the biomechanical basis of mTBI and improve the effectiveness in monitoring kinematic exposure in contact sports for risk and injury mitigation purposes.

An Automated Kinematic Measurement System for Sagittal Plane Murine Head Impacts.

Mild traumatic brain injuries are typically caused by nonpenetrating head impacts that accelerate the skull and result in deformation of the brain within the skull. The shear and compressive strains caused by these deformations damage neural and vascular structures and impair their function. Accurate head acceleration measurements are necessary to define the nature of the insult to the brain. A novel murine head tracking system was developed to improve the accuracy and efficiency of kinematic measurements obtained with high-speed videography. A three-dimensional (3D)-printed marker carrier was designed for rigid fixation to the upper jaw and incisors with an elastic strap around the snout. The system was evaluated by impacting cadaveric mice with the closed head impact model of engineered rotational acceleration (CHIMERA) system using an energy of 0.7 J (5.29 m/s). We compared the performance of the head-marker system to the previously used skin-tracking method and documented significant improvements in measurement repeatability (aggregate coefficient of variation (CV) within raters from 15.8 to 1.5 and between raters from 15.5 to 1.5), agreement (aggregate percentage error from 24.9 to 8.7), and temporal response (aggregate temporal curve agreement from 0.668 to 0.941). Additionally, the new system allows for automated software tracking, which dramatically decreases the analysis time required (74% reduction). This novel head tracking system for mice offers an efficient, reliable, and real-time method to measure head kinematics during high-speed impacts using CHIMERA or other rodent or small mammal head impact models.

The potential of head acceleration measurement to augment current best practice in concussion screening in professional Australian football players

ObjectiveTo explore the potential utility of head acceleration event (HAE) measurements to augment identification of players for further concussion screening in non-helmeted contact sport. DesignProspective observational pilot study. Participants210 (118 female) professional Australian football players in 2017 season. MethodsPlayers wore the X-Patch® accelerometer for one match each with data collected across 14 matches. Players with HAEs above thresholds associated with concussion, 95 g (males) or 85.5 g (females), were compared to players identified to have suspected concussion by club personnel during the inspected matches. Video review of matches was undertaken by a physician blinded to HAEs to identify players with concussive signs. ResultsAmong 26 players (50% female) with HAEs above threshold, two players were screened for concussion. Of the remaining 24 players, nine were not visible on video at the HAE time, six sustained verifiable head impacts, and nine sustained verifiable body impacts with no head impacts. Among 184 players with HAEs below threshold, five players were screened. ConclusionPlayers were identified to have head impacts and suspected concussion in the absence of HAEs above threshold. Use of X-Patch® was not sufficiently reliable for identifying players for further concussion screening in professional Australian football. Video review of head impacts remains essential in concussion screening.

Entropy-Based Local Irregularity Detection for High-Speed Railway Catenaries With Frequent Inspections

The condition-based maintenance of high-speed railway catenary is an important task to ensure the continuous availability of train power supply. To improve the condition monitoring of catenary, this paper presents a novel scheme to detect catenary local irregularities using pantograph head acceleration measurements. First, a series of experimental inspections is carried out in a section of the Beijing-Guangzhou high-speed line in China. The time intervals between the inspections are shortened from the traditional six months to about 40 days, which enables monitoring the short-term degradation of local irregularities. Then, based on the wavelet packet entropy, an approach is proposed to detect local irregularities with different scales in length. Criteria for identifying and verifying the local irregularities are established based on the gradient and repeatability of entropy from multiple measurements. Results from the experimental inspections show that different scales of local irregularities can be detected by the proposed scheme. By using frequent inspections, local irregularities can be effectively verified after about seven inspections. The spatial distribution of local irregularities is found to be closely related to the catenary structure. These findings provide valuable information to deploy the scheme for a railway network.

Quantification of Head Acceleration during Vestibular Rehabilitation Exercises.

Vestibular rehabilitation exercises have been proven to reduce symptoms and diminish the risk of falls in those with dizziness and balance impairments. The first purpose of this study is to investigate a new method of measuring head movements during habituation vestibular rehabilitation exercises. The second is to explore the relationship between head acceleration measurements during select traditional vestibular rehabilitation exercises and the variables of age, dizziness, and poor balance confidence. A descriptive, cross-sectional study, in a university setting. Fifty-two participants, ranging in age from 20 to 96 yr. All were volunteers, with the majority (34) reporting no history of dizziness or balance confidence. Head accelerations were calculated from linear and angular displacements as measured by magnetometry. Head accelerations decreased with increasing age, dizziness, and low balance confidence during four habituation exercises. Head acceleration varies as a function of age, dizziness, and low balance confidence during head movement-based vestibular and balance rehabilitation therapy (habituation) exercises. The magnetometry measurement method used could be applied across the course of treatment to establish predictive measures based on change in acceleration over time. More diverse participant sampling is needed to create normative data.

Head impact exposure measured in a single youth football team during practice drills.

OBJECTIVE This study evaluated the frequency, magnitude, and location of head impacts in practice drills within a youth football team to determine how head impact exposure varies among different types of drills. METHODS On-field head impact data were collected from athletes participating in a youth football team for a single season. Each athlete wore a helmet instrumented with a Head Impact Telemetry (HIT) System head acceleration measurement device during all preseason, regular season, and playoff practices. Video was recorded for all practices, and video analysis was performed to verify head impacts and assign each head impact to a specific drill. Eleven drills were identified: dummy/sled tackling, install, special teams, Oklahoma, one-on-one, open-field tackling, passing, position skill work, multiplayer tackle, scrimmage, and tackling drill stations. Generalized linear models were fitted to log-transformed data, and Wald tests were used to assess differences in head accelerations and impact rates. RESULTS A total of 2125 impacts were measured during 30 contact practices in 9 athletes (mean age 11.1 ± 0.6 years, mean mass 44.9 ± 4.1 kg). Open-field tackling had the highest median and 95th percentile linear accelerations (24.7 g and 97.8 g, respectively) and resulted in significantly higher mean head accelerations than several other drills. The multiplayer tackle drill resulted in the highest head impact frequency, with an average of 0.59 impacts per minute per athlete, but the lowest 95th percentile linear accelerations of all drills. The front of the head was the most common impact location for all drills except dummy/sled tackling. CONCLUSIONS Head impact exposure varies significantly in youth football practice drills, with several drills exposing athletes to high-magnitude and/or high-frequency head impacts. These data suggest that further study of practice drills is an important step in developing evidence-based recommendations for modifying or eliminating certain high-intensity drills to reduce head impact exposure and injury risk for all levels of play.

Head acceleration measurement techniques: Reliability of angular rate sensor data in helmeted impact testing

This study sought to evaluate the suitability of angular rate sensors for quantifying angular acceleration in helmeted headform impacts. A helmeted Hybrid III headform, instrumented with a 3-2-2-2 nine accelerometer array and angular rate sensors, was impacted (n = 90) at six locations and three velocities (3.1, 4.9, and 6.4 m/s). Data were low-pass filtered using Butterworth four-pole phaseless digital filters which conform to the specifications described in the Society of Automotive Engineers J211 standard on instrumentation for impact tests. Nine accelerometer array data were filtered using channel frequency class 180, which corresponds to a −3 db cutoff frequency of 300 Hz. Angular rate sensor data were filtered using channel frequency class values ranging from 5 to 1000 Hz in increments of 5 Hz, which correspond to −3 db cutoff frequencies of 8 to 1650 Hz. Root-mean-square differences in peak angular acceleration between the two instrumentation schemes were assessed for each channel frequency class value. Filtering angular rate sensor data with channel frequency class values between 120 and 205 all produced mean differences within ±5%. The minimum root-mean-square difference of 297 rad/s2 was found when the angular rate sensor data were filtered using channel frequency class 175. This filter specification resulted in a mean difference of 28 ± 297 rad/s2 (1.8% ± 8.6%). Condition-specific differences (α=0.05) were observed for 11 of 18 test conditions. A total of 4 of those 11 conditions were within ±5%, and 10 were within ±10%. Furthermore, the nine accelerometer array and angular rate sensor methods demonstrated similar levels of repeatability. These data suggest that angular rate sensor may be an appropriate alternative to the nine accelerometer array for measuring angular head acceleration in helmeted head impact tests with impactor velocities of 3.1–6.4 m/s and impact durations of approximately 10 ms.

Hockey STAR: A Methodology for Assessing the Biomechanical Performance of Hockey Helmets.

Optimizing the protective capabilities of helmets is one of several methods of reducing brain injury risk in sports. This paper presents the experimental and analytical development of a hockey helmet evaluation methodology. The Summation of Tests for the Analysis of Risk (STAR) formula combines head impact exposure with brain injury probability over the broad range of 227 head impacts that a hockey player is likely to experience during one season. These impact exposure data are mapped to laboratory testing parameters using a series of 12 impact conditions comprised of three energy levels and four head impact locations, which include centric and non-centric directions of force. Injury risk is determined using a multivariate injury risk function that incorporates both linear and rotational head acceleration measurements. All testing parameters are presented along with exemplar helmet test data. The Hockey STAR methodology provides a scientific framework for manufacturers to optimize hockey helmet design for injury risk reduction, as well as providing consumers with a meaningful metric to assess the relative performance of hockey helmets.

Updates and Evidence Concerning Concussion in the Physically Active Population

Updates and Evidence Concerning Concussion in the Physically Active Population

Real-Time Head Acceleration Measurement in Girls’ Youth Soccer

The purpose of the current study was to collect real-time head acceleration data for soccer impacts during girls' youth (U14) soccer play. Linear and angular head accelerations were collected during girls' youth soccer scrimmages using a wireless head acceleration measurement device (the Head Impact Telemetry System). After field data collection, each individual impact was analyzed. The type of impact, header or nonheader, was determined, and nonheader impacts were further assessed by the category of impact. The head injury criterion and resultant linear and angular accelerations were analyzed and compared with current injury tolerance values for all impacts. A total of 47 header and 20 nonheader impacts were observed during the study. The front of the head experienced more headers than the other locations (n = 17). Header impacts ranged in peak linear acceleration from 4.5 g to 62.9 g and in peak angular head acceleration from 444.8 to 8869.1 rad·s(-2). The majority of the nonheader impacts (40%) were player collisions with other players. Only one goalpost collision occurred, but it resulted in the highest peak angular acceleration (5179.5 rad·s(-2)) and was the only nonheader impact to exceed any of the tolerance levels. Head accelerations were found to exceed the majority of previous laboratory studies. None of the impacts exceeded linear acceleration tolerance values for concussion, but angular accelerations did exceed the suggested limits. Three angular acceleration measurements for heading events (4509.8, 5298.3, and 8869.1 rad·s(-2)) exceeded the concussion tolerance values, but no concussions were diagnosed during the study.

A Six Degree of Freedom Head Acceleration Measurement Device for Use in Football

The high incidence rate of concussions in football provides a unique opportunity to collect biomechanical data to characterize mild traumatic brain injury. The goal of this study was to validate a six degree of freedom (6DOF) measurement device with 12 single-axis accelerometers that uses a novel algorithm to compute linear and angular head accelerations for each axis of the head. The 6DOF device can be integrated into existing football helmets and is capable of wireless data transmission. A football helmet equipped with the 6DOF device was fitted to a Hybrid III head instrumented with a 9 accelerometer array. The helmet was impacted using a pneumatic linear impactor. Hybrid III head accelerations were compared with that of the 6DOF device. For all impacts, peak Hybrid III head accelerations ranged from 24 g to 176 g and 1,506 rad/s(2) to 14,431 rad/s(2). Average errors for peak linear and angular head acceleration were 1% ± 18% and 3% ± 24%, respectively. The average RMS error of the temporal response for each impact was 12.5 g and 907 rad/s(2).

Head Injury Prediction Methods Based on 6 Degree of Freedom Head Acceleration Measurements during Impact

Over four thousand data sets of 6 DOF (degree of freedom) (3 linear + 3 angular) accelerations measured at the head CG (center of gravity) were obtained from 19 college football players who voluntarily participated. Of these impacts, one hundred cases with high angular velocity were selected, and the set of 6 DOF head accelerations was applied to a detailed human head brain FE model. This study predicted the maximum 1 principal strain and CSDM (Cumulative Strain Damage Measure) for each set and found significant correlations between CSDM and a proposed criterion with angular velocity and acceleration of the head CG.

Validation of a Wireless Head Acceleration Measurement System for Use in Soccer Play

Soccer heading has been studied previously with conflicting results. One major issue is the lack of knowledge regarding what actually occurs biomechanically during soccer heading impacts. The purpose of the current study is to validate a wireless head acceleration measurement system, head impact telemetry system (HITS) that can be used to collect head accelerations during soccer play. The HIT system was fitted to a Hybrid III (HIII) head form that was instrumented with a 3-2-2-2 accelerometer setup. Fifteen impact conditions were tested to simulate impacts commonly experienced during soccer play. Linear and angular acceleration were calculated for both systems and compared. Root mean square (RMS) error and cross correlations were also calculated and compared for both systems. Cross correlation values were very strong with r = .95 ± 0.02 for ball to head forehead impacts and r = .96 ± 0.02 for head to head forehead impacts. The systems showed a strong relationship when comparing RMS error, linear head acceleration, angular head acceleration, and the cross correlation values.

Linear and Angular Head Acceleration Measurements in Collegiate Football

Each year, between 1.6x10(6) and 3.8x10(6) concussions are sustained by athletes playing sports, with football having the highest incidence. The high number of concussions in football provides a unique opportunity to collect biomechanical data to characterize mild traumatic brain injury. Human head acceleration data for a range of impact severities were collected by instrumenting the helmets of collegiate football players with accelerometers. The helmets of ten Virginia Tech football players were instrumented with measurement devices for every game and practice for the 2007 football season. The measurement devices recorded linear and angular accelerations about each of the three axes of the head. Data for each impact were downloaded wirelessly to a sideline data collection system shortly after each impact occurred. Data were collected for 1712 impacts, creating a large and unbiased data set. While a majority of the impacts were of relatively low severity (<30 g and <2000 rad/s2), 172 impacts were greater than 40 g and 143 impacts were greater than 3000 rad/s2. No instrumented player sustained a clinically diagnosed concussion during the 2007 season. A large and unbiased data set was compiled by instrumenting the helmets of collegiate football players. Football provides a unique opportunity to collect head acceleration data of varying severity from human volunteers. The addition of concurrent concussive data may advance the understanding of the mechanics of mild traumatic brain injury. With an increased understanding of the biomechanics of head impacts in collegiate football and human tolerance to head acceleration, better equipment can be designed to prevent head injuries.

Hollow golf club head modal characteristics: Determination and impact applications

The design of modern hollow golf club heads is a labor-intensive process involving extensive performance festing both by robotic and real golfers. This paper describes how, by correlating club head mechanical behavior with functional performance, it will become possible to use validated computational models to predict this performance as well as related contributions to the ill-defined concept of “feel”. Successful use of experimental modal analysis to validate a hollow golf club head finite element model is reported. Modal tests employing noncontacting, laser-based transducers facilitated identification of the natural frequencies and corresponding modeshapes for the three main surfaces of the club head. The experimental data suggest predominantly different modal characteristics for each surface, and this compares favorably with equivalent data obtained from the finite element model. The modal data are also used to identify surfaces responsible for particular frequency components present in the club head impact sound spectrum. The potential for detailed impact performance prediction using the finite element model is further demonstrated by comparison of computed and experimental club head acceleration measurements recorded during simulated and actual club-ball impacts.