Sport related concussion is a common and serious injury. Recent estimates approximate that 1.6 to 3.8 million sport associated traumatic brain injuries occur annually in the United States. The vast majority are classified as mild concussions (mTBI). Studies have shown that concussion accounts for 5-10% of all injuries associated with organized sport participation at the high school and collegiate levels.
The appropriate diagnosis and management of concussed athletes remains of primary importance in minimizing the effects of injury on an athlete and preventing complications that can result from premature return to sport participation. In addition, more attention is being focused on the potential long-term effects repeat or mismanaged concussions can have on athletes later in life.
With these considerations in mind, it is of clear importance that sports medicine providers be able to properly diagnose and manage these injuries. A significant challenge faced by physicians and other sports medicine providers who evaluate concussed athletes is that there is no single diagnostic test for concussion.
But TRAZER changes everything.
TRAZER Concussion Management – Supporting Research
TRAZER’s global performance assessment replicates game play to challenge visual, vestibular, cognitive, neuromuscular/ musculoskeletal, and cardiorespiratory systems by progressively elevating the athlete’s heart rate to game levels.
To characterize “kinetic” health, TRAZER simultaneously measures and reports the brain + body ability to respond to moment-to-moment reaction time challenges, to accelerate, generate speed, and to stop on a dime in each movement vector while tracking heart rate by telemetry. TRAZER’s Timeline Report shows the moment(s) in time when the athlete’s attention span flagged and when their endurance was lost. The athlete’s dynamic reaction time to unplanned visual cues provides a measure of cognitive prowess during game-like conditions at progressively higher work rates. The athlete’s movement performance can be compared to baseline or normative data.
It is well-know in the art that if an individual has had either a concussion or an orthopedic injury, they are at higher risk of either. TRAZER’s unique, simultaneous measurement of both cardiorespiratory and neuromechanical performance assists in determining whether an athlete exhibits movement deficits that may potentially place him or her at higher risk of concussion and/or musculoskeletal injury. In summary, TRAZER detects movement deficits that may expose a healthy athlete to a higher risk of injury by presenting sport-like and dynamic neuromechanical challenges that push the athlete to perform as if on the field of play. Thus, should there be residual symptoms or movement deficits, they will recur in a safe space, preventing the concussed/injured athlete from returning to their field prematurely.
TRAZER Simulation Delivers and Measures Interactive 3D Movement Experiences – Notes From Barry Sr
In creating the first “flight simulator” for physical performance and health enhancement, we learned from the study of ancient martial arts, pioneering computer-based simulation, and the latest research in human-computer interfaces and learning theory.
We soon proved that simulation could create a more realistic and productive virtual environment through which physical, physiological, and cognitive capabilities can be accurately assessed and enhanced. Simulation can model and replicate the complex challenges experienced in your dynamic, real-world environment to provide a superior screening and training tool. And most importantly, simulation is uniquely capable of delivering the one type of exercise whose benefits most directly transfer to real-world activities.
Simulation reproduces the 3D movement challenges you face in daily living without the constraints or risk factors inherent in the real world.
Simulation’s competitive advantages include:
- Planned and unplanned task-specific cues to elicit realistic movement responses. Unplanned movement demands create completely different movement challenges than do pre-planned or controlled movement patterns.
- Measurement of your reaction time and movement acceleration, deceleration, and speed. This is a sensitive gauge of your ability and perhaps even your propensity for future injury or disability. A primary factor indicative of potential injury or disease is the inability to react and move quickly.
Elite athletes, coaches and trainers rely on TRAZER to take their programs to the next level. TRAZER is changing the game for elite performance athletes by reducing the risk of re-injury, improving strength and stamina, and decreasing recovery time. We’ll show you how with a demo.