10-second concussion test for high school sports

EyeGuide Focus is a rapid vision test that can assess possible concussions.

Concussion injuries in sports like rugby have had a lot of media coverage over recent seasons. Immediate diagnosis is complicated, but could be crucial in preventing long-term damage, and we’ve seen a mouthguard that changes color to indicate if a severe impact has occurred. Now, EyeGuide have developed a quick response solution for detecting concussions.

Developed largely to combat concussion in high school sports, the EyeGuide can detect neural impairment in ten seconds. Visual damage is a major indicator of brain injury, so the test sees users following a dot across black screen as it moves in figure eight. It uses an iPad with the EyeGuide Focus app and a headset with built-in camera to record eye movements. Athletes’ average scores are tested at the start of the season, producing a baseline for comparison, and the assessment factors in thousands of results from other athletes to prevent users giving intentionally low baselines. If the user’s score differs significantly from their baseline after an injury, athletes are diagnosed with a concussion and coaches are advised to remove them from play. EyeGuide are currently crowdfunding on Indiegogo, with the entire Focus system available with a pledge of USD 3000.

While the upfront cost may seem expensive, EyeGuide believes that a single unit in schools will dramatically save time on testing and the medical bills of untreated concussions, as well as protect vulnerable young athletes. Could rapid concussion detection systems be made mandatory in contact sports?