Twelve high schools from Western and Central Pennsylvania have been chosen for a research study that aims to help determine whether the new Revolution helmet by Riddell can reduce the incidence or severity of concussions.
Riddell and UPMC are teaming for the study.
Twelve high schools from Western and Central Pennsylvania have been chosen for a research study that aims to help determine whether the new Revolution helmet by Riddell can reduce the incidence or severity of concussions.
Riddell and UPMC are teaming for the study.
Six of the schools -- Altoona, Blackhawk, Butler, Hopewell, Karns City and Upper St. Clair -- will be outfitted with the Revolution helmets for this season. The other six -- Bradford, Emmaus, Fox Chapel, Mt. Lebanon, Ringgold and South Allegheny -- will use the same helmets as last year.
Each player on those teams will receive a preseason baseline neurocognitive test within UPMC's ImPACT (Immediate Post-concussion and Cognitive Testing) program.
If any of the players sustain a concussion during the season, they will be retested. Those results will be compared with that player's baseline test results and results from other players in the study who sustain concussions. Researchers also will consider which helmet the players wore.
"By the end of the season, we hope that this study will have enabled us to collect valuable detailed information to help us learn more specifically about football helmets' effect on concussions and help us determine the effectiveness of the Revolution helmet and standard helmets at the high school level," said Michael Collins, a neuropsychologist, assistant director of the UPMC sports concussion program and co-principal investigator of the study.
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