Exploring Inertial-Based Wearable Technologies for Objective Monitoring in Sports-Related Concussion: A Single-Participant Report

Abstract

Objective Challenges remain in sports-related concussion (SRC) assessment to better inform return to play. Reliance on self-reported symptoms within the Sports Concussion Assessment Tool means that there are limited data on the effectiveness of novel methods to assess a player’s readiness to return to play. Digital methods such as wearable technologies may augment traditional SRC assessment and improve objectivity in making decisions regarding return to play. Methods The participant was a male university athlete who had a recent history of SRC. The single-participant design consisted of baseline laboratory testing immediately after SRC, free-living monitoring, and follow-up supervised testing after 2 months. The primary outcome measures were from traditional assessment (eg, Sports Concussion Assessment Tool and 2-minute instrumented walk/gait test; secondary outcome measures were from remote (free-living) assessment with a single wearable inertial measurement unit (eg, for gait and sleep). Results The university athlete (age = 20 years, height = 175 cm, weight = 77 kg [176.37 lb]) recovered and returned to play 20 days after SRC. Primary measures returned to baseline levels after 12 days. However, supervised (laboratory-based) wearable device assessment showed that gait impairments (increased step time) remained even after the athlete was cleared for return to play (2 months). Similarly, a 24-hour remote gait assessment showed changes in step time, step time variability, and step time asymmetry immediately after SRC and at return to play (1 month after SRC). Remote sleep analysis showed differences in sleep quality and disturbance (increased movement between immediately after SRC and once the athlete had returned to play [1 month after SRC]). Conclusion The concern about missed or delayed SRC diagnosis is growing, but methods to objectively monitor return to play after concussion are still lacking. This report showed that wearable device assessment offers additional objective data for use in monitoring players who have SRC. This work could better inform SRC assessment and return-to-play protocols. Impact Digital technologies such as wearable technologies can yield additional data that traditional self-report approaches cannot. Combining data from nondigital (traditional) and digital (wearable) methods may augment SRC assessment for improved return-to-play decisions.

Evaluation of a Microcontroller-based Smart Wearable Device in College Students' Sports Forging Application

“…General class smart wearable devices are oriented to the recovery training of athletes and general fitness needs, and the products tend to be simple and lightweight; training class smart wearable devices are oriented to the monitoring needs of the training class, and the equipment has a strong professional attribute; scientific research class smart wearable devices are oriented to scientific research, and the measurement accuracy of the devices is relatively high. oriented, the equipment measurement accuracy is relatively high, but the operation is relatively complex; literature [9] studied the development strategy of sports class smart wearable devices, and at the same time recognised the value of fitness data of smart wearable devices; literature [10] studied the application of smart wearable devices in sports training to stimulate the enthusiasm for training, adjust the training content in a timely manner, set up a personalised training program and form a scientific evaluation system; literature [11] investigated the main factors of college students feeling too tired of physical exercise; literature [12] studied the strategy of sports APP to improve college students' attitude and behavioural habits of physical exercise. In summary, there are fewer studies on the combination of smart wearable devices and college students' physical exercise, which mainly focus on the basic situation of college students' use of smart wearable devices and the impact of using smart wearable devices on college students' physical exercise attitude, frequency, duration, intensity and other aspects [13].…”