The USFDA has recently given marketing authorization to a novel device that can protect athletes from traumatic brain injury during sports activities . The C-shaped collar device is intended to be worn around the neck by athletes aged 13 years and older. It applies compressive force to the internal jugular veins and increases blood volume to the neck, restricting the brain's slosh movements within the skull. The device’s safety and efficacy were evaluated through a prospective, longitudinal study involving 274 athletes above 13 years of age, who were members of a football team.
During the sports season, 139 athletes wore the collar device, while 145 athletes did not. All the subjects underwent MRI scans pre- and post-the-sports season, and the diffusion tensor imaging compared structural changes in the brain of the athletes after the sports season. No significant changes were observed…
