title: Accelerometers for the Assessment of Concussion in Male Athletes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Concussion is common in the sporting arena and is often challenging to diagnose. The development of wearable head impact measurement systems has enabled measurement of head kinematics in contact sports.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this systematic review was to determine the characteristics of head kinematics measured by an accelerometer system among male athletes diagnosed with concussion.
  
  
  METHODS
  A systematic search was conducted in July 2015. Inclusion criteria were English-language studies published after 1990 with a study population of male athletes, in any sport, where objectively measured biomechanical forces were reported in the setting of a concussive event. The random effects meta-analysis model was used to combine estimates of biomechanical force measurements in concussed athletes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirteen studies met the inclusion criteria, the majority of which were conducted with high school and college football teams in the US. Included studies measured a combination of linear and rotational acceleration. The meta-analysed mean peak linear head acceleration associated with a concussive episode was 98.68 g (95 % CI 82.36-115.00) and mean peak rotational head acceleration was 5776.60 rads/s2(95 % CI 4583.53-6969.67). The estimates of the biomechanical forces were consistent across studies, with I2values of 0 % for both meta-analyses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Head impact monitoring through accelerometery has been shown to be useful with regard to characterising the kinematic load to the head associated with concussion. Future research with improved clinical outcome measures and head kinematic data may improve accuracy when evaluating concussion, and may assist with both interpretation of biomechanical data and the development and utilisation of implementation strategies for the technology.
authors.affiliation: National Trauma Research Institute, Commercial Rd, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia. brennan.james.harold@gmail.com.|Emergency and Trauma Centre, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. brennan.james.harold@gmail.com.
authors.forename: James H
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3912-6367
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Brennan
authors.affiliation: National Trauma Research Institute, Commercial Rd, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia.|Emergency and Trauma Centre, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.|Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Biswadev
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mitra
authors.affiliation: National Trauma Research Institute, Commercial Rd, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia.|Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Research Centre (ANZIC-RC), Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.|Cochrane Consumers and Communication Review Group, Centre for Health Communication and Participation, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Anneliese
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Synnot
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Joanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McKenzie
authors.affiliation: Monash-Epworth Rehabilitation Research Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.|School of Psychological Sciences and Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Willmott
authors.affiliation: Australian Centre for Research into Injury in Sport and its Prevention, Federation University, Ballarat, VIC, Australia.|Monash Injury Research Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Andrew S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: McIntosh
authors.affiliation: Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Jerome J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Maller
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.|Department of Surgery, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.|Department of Surgery, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of The Health Sciences (USUHS), Bethesda, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Jeffrey V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Rosenfeld
mesh_terms: D061725:Accelerometry; D056352:Athletes; D001265:Athletic Injuries; D001924:Brain Concussion; D005538:Football; D006260:Head Protective Devices; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male