Women’s Origin Team Will Use EyeGuide In Concussion Testing
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he Queensland Women’s State of Origin medical staff will be able to analyse a player’s brain function in just 10 seconds following a head knock, by using EyeGuide’s rapid response sideline technology.
Having completed baseline testing in the weeks leading up to this Friday’s State of Origin match, the Queensland medical staff can use players’ control readings to compare with sideline data following a players’ removal from the field for a Head Injury Assessment (HIA).
According to a press release from EyeGuide, the system works by tracking eye movement to indicate brain function and involves players following a “white dot across an iPad screen while a camera captures 1200 images of the player’s eye movement.”
“An algorithm generates an objective score in real time to gauge a players’ brain activity which is compared to their baseline scan.”
Further testing can be done during the recovery process and beyond and the “ongoing data can measure a player’s brain health over the course of their career and flag early warnings for further specialist assessment.”
EyeGuide’s chief operating officer, Shane Keating, said the Queensland’s Women’s team’s use of the system last State of Origin was a great success and it is hoped that systems like this will help promote player wellbeing.
“The current subjective methods, such as asking players if they have a headache or know the score to assess their brain function, has its obvious limitations,” Keating said.
“The feedback from players and parents is that the objective EyeGuide data provides peace of mind that the assessment process has more rigor and objectivity.
“The technology is used in conjunction with the standard subjective HIA protocols, and the team doctor is still responsible for diagnostic and return to play decisions.
“Rule changes alone will not address the decline in rugby league participation rates.
“We need better systems and processes to assess the concussion risk in real time and the Brisbane Rugby League dan Queensland Rugby League have seen the benefits that EyeGuide provides at both professional and amateur levels,” he said.
In addition to its use by the Queensland Women’s State of Origin team, EyeGuide is also being used in Brisbane Rugby League’s A Grade competition as well as by players in other sports with a high concussion risk like AFL and Rugby Union.
