The Q-collar is commonly referred to as a concussion-prevention method, although the company says the Q-collar helps “protect the brain” of contact athletes over a season of play. However, limitations include not being “demonstrated to prevent long-term cognitive function deficits,” no evaluation of clinical outcome impacts, and the data not “demonstrating that the device can prevent concussion or serious brain injury.”

Is the Q-Collar effective at concussion prevention, and is it safe? The FDA summary states that the Q-Collar was not approved to prevent concussions and there are some risks to the device.

Ian K. Chun found that turf fields result in impact deceleration “as much as 23 g higher on artificial grass compared to natural surfaces.” The higher g forces may translate “to a theoretical increased risk of concussion due to contact with playing surfaces,” according to Chun.

The use of helmets in women’s lacrosse continues to be a topic of significant debate, as helmets are not mandatory in women’s lacrosse but are required in men’s lacrosse. A 2015 study found that women’s lacrosse had the second-highest rate of concussions among a variety of high school and college sports.

A study evaluated the duration of continued participation after a suspected sport-related concussion (SRC) and its impact on recovery outcomes in collegiate athletes. The researchers found that continued participation (within a range of 0-90 minutes) after SRC was associated with worse outcomes.

A study found significant gaps in school-based concussion education in a scoping review, "including a lack of clear guidelines for concussion education content, questionable sustainability of the education delivery and the need for long-term evaluation of outcomes.”

An excellent article from Elizabeth Sandel, MD, explores the relationship between falls and TBI in older adults and lays out interventions for a variety of common risk factors. Sandel points out that “Falls are the leading cause of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) in the U.S."

According to a preliminary research study published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine, an 8-week neuromuscular training (NMT) intervention on sports-related injuries of young athletes may lead to a 3.5 times lower risk of injury when they return to play post-concussion.

A study by Carolyn A. Emery et al. published in British Journal of Sports Medicine found that injury rates were 61% lower and concussion rates 51% lower in non-elite adolescent hockey leagues that did not permit body-checking than leagues that did.

Mark Patrick Pankow et al. conducted the first-ever systematic review and meta-analysis of “incidence rates, risk factors, and prevention of concussion and head impacts” in youth tackle football. Their review, published in Sports Medicine, was “also the first to produce a pooled estimate of concussion incidence rate by session type in football (i.e., games, practices).”