NEWS EXTRA
CARDIFF University are investigating head impacts within their Men’s and Women’s BUCS Super Rugby squads, looking to better understand the role of sub-concussive trauma towards early-onset dementia.
The study team, that includes Dr Peter Theobald with a background in biomechanics and sports medicine, aim to better understand whether female players have different risks towards early onset dementia and how low-impact injuries could contribute to neurological trauma.
Dr Theobald told The Rugby Paper: “It comes back to this theme of early onset dementia, within a population who are subject to lots of relatively low energy impacts, impacts that we call sub-concussive.
“Sub-concussive injuries need to be managed entirely separately from concussion and HIA protocol, this is an injury that would not be detected by a flashing mouth guard.
“Our challenge as research and a sporting community is to work out what is an acceptable risk.”
While the data is far from being collated, the research team are already looking to interpreting the data with precision.
He said: “With our rugby study, we’ve now got 3D printed mouthguards being worn so we’re collecting data whenever they play. We can break that data down based on playing position, based on years of play, is there a risk associated with experience.”
Dr Theobald added: “What we don’t want to see happening is essentially two distinct versions of rugby played by males and females because that doesn’t have an equivalent elsewhere. But equally, we need to be aware that females aren’t mini men.
“It could be that there is a different tackle height in the female game, or it could be that our data highlights that tackle height is less sensitive in the female game versus the male game.”
The best betting sites
