The document proposes a solution to improve concussion diagnosis and tracking of recovery. It describes developing a device that uses electrodes on the scalp to measure brain activity in different regions while the subject performs tasks. This would provide more accurate diagnosis of where brain damage occurred compared to current methods. Repeated use of the device could monitor recovery by seeing improved brain function over time in damaged areas. The goal is to prevent second-impact syndrome and help athletes and doctors better understand injury severity and recovery progress. A prototype was created using sponge electrodes, wires and a Bluetooth-enabled data analyzer to demonstrate feasibility. The potential impact is transforming concussion treatment and safety.

1. HEADSHOT
Created by Shreya
Mahasenan, Madison
Hooper, and Marie Miskin

2. Our Mission
We wanted to create a product that would
transform the world of sports medicine.
Concussions are an ever-increasing threat
that continues to hang over the athletic
community. Brain trauma is often missed or not
diagnosed early enough. Even when it is
diagnosed, the information gathered can only
inspire a recovery plan as primitive as “give
your brain plenty of rest.” Headshot is a
revolutionary method of not only making timely
diagnoses, but also helping athletes gain a
better understanding of their injury and how to
recover from it.

3. The Problem Part 1: Diagnosis
In the sports world, especially in contact sports such as hockey and football,
concussions are becoming an increasingly prevalent problem. From the youth
level to the professional level, we are starting to unearth more and more
information about the frequency of brain trauma and the serious health
problems that happen as a result of repeated head injury. But even with
increasing awareness of concussions and related medical condities such as
chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and second-impact syndrome,
we still struggle with concussion diagnosis and treatment. A concussion is a
“clinical diagnosis” - meaning a diagnosis is made based on clinical suspicion, and can neither be confirmed
nor ruled out. As of now, we are not able to confirm concussions using MRI/CAT scans or blood tests. When
even deciding whether or not a concussion occurred is so difficult, it’s easy to imagine how difficult it is to
try and decide the seriousness of the concussion and the actual damage that has been sustained. This is a
serious problem, as we are discovering more and more cases of athletes who repeatedly suffered head
trauma but were never able to realize the extent of the damage that they took every time and the resultant
buildup of medical issues. It is only post-mortem when we examine their brains that we realize they were
spending the final years of their life with CTE and other conditions caused by frequent head trauma.

4. It’s bad enough that there is still so much uncertainty when it comes to the actual diagnosis of a concussion.
However, this inability isn’t nearly as disastrous as our lack of ability to accurately track and confirm recovery.
When a concussion or any type of head/brain trauma is sustained, full recovery is absolutely crucial. Studies
have shown us that during the process of recovery, the brain is very vulnerable. We have come to understand
that the disappearance of symptoms and the person reporting that they feel better is misleading and does NOT
mean the brain has completed recovery. While this may possibly
indicate progress in recovery, it cannot be taken as a sign that the
brain is no longer vulnerable and has completed the healing process.
Sadly, many people - especially athletes - take the disappearance of
most of their symptoms as a sign that they are “ready to go” and
immediately resume physical activity, which is about the most
dangerous thing they can do but is terrifyingly common. As a result,
many of them receive additional head trauma to a brain that has not yet
recovered, causing second-impact syndrome. It is second-impact syndrome that is the biggest problem
behind concussions; back-to-back concussions occurring to already injured brains have been discovered as the
culprits behind some of the more serious long-term issues being developed by people with concussion histories.
This is the most crucial problem to solve: we need a way to confirm recovery and prevent second-impact
syndrome. Going off of symptoms is not a reliable approach.
The Problem Part 2: Recovery and Treatment

5. The Solution: A New Way to Confirm Diagnosis and Recovery Part 1
To address this serious problem, we have devised a method that would help us be able to make more
accurate diagnoses of head trauma and thereby improve our treatment methods and ability to accurately
track progress of recovery. The inspiration came from a study on dreams. Electrodes were hooked up to lab
rats that were then put through a maze. The electrodes allowed the scientists to track signals from certain
regions of the brain, enabling them to tell which part of the brain the rat was using to navigate the maze.
Later, while the rat was dreaming, the electrode signals told the scientists that the same parts of the brain
were “lighting up” when the rat dreamed of running through the maze. We believe this existing technology
can be harnessed to further concussion research. First, the person being tested would have several
electrodes placed around his scalp to mirror the locations of the different regions of the brain. Currently, the
Maddocks Questions Test is used to test someone who may have just been concussed. Similarly, for the
purposes of this technology, a standardized set of “tests” or small tasks would be given to the person being
tested. Each test would be designed to stimulate a certain part of the brain (like how doing a maze uses a
certain part of the brain). Simultaneously, the electrodes would broadcast signals on the response of each
region of the brain during each test. When compiled, the signals from the brain while the tests were
administered could be analyzed for patterns in the data that would reveal which specific regions of the brain,
if any, were damaged in the incident.

6. The Solution: A New Way to Confirm Diagnosis and Recovery Part 2
The data gathered from this would therefore prove highly useful; by looking at the signals the brain was giving
off, we could get a much more accurate idea of the way the brain is functioning and where any impairments are
occurring. Of course, this would be a far more reliable way to
make a diagnosis on whether or not the person has suffered a
concussion. Even better, it would help doctors be able to give
much more helpful and informed advice on recovery. Having not
only gained an idea of whether or not the brain was damaged but
where the brain is not functioning as it should be, doctors would
know which specific types of stimulation a person should a give
his brain some rest from and eventually begin therapy. Using the same technology, verification examinations can
be done to measure the brain’s recovery progress and verify that the damaged regions are showing improvement
in functionality. When the data shows improvement, doctors will know the person is finally nearing recovery, and
can do more frequent examinations to fully verify recovery. Thereby lies our proposed solution to the problem.
By using similar technology like that used in studies of dreaming and the brain, we can make more
accurate and comprehensive diagnoses of concussions and brain injury and more precisely map out
an individual’s recovery progress.

7. What We Have Created
The product that we invented is made up of simple instruments. The electrodes that would be
used to measure brain activity would be made of sponge. There would be three sponges per
region of the brain to help pinpoint where the concussion damaged the brain. Attached to these
sponges would be a wire that connects with our data processor. The machine would then take
the data that was transmitted from the electrodes and transform that information into a graph.
The graph would show the “strength” of each signal, which could be compared to the normal
function of that area. Although it may seem that making a device like this would be difficult,
there are models that already exist, like LabQuest, that could be used for the overall product as
well. This device would be compatible with computers (flash drive-built) and it would be
programmed to give off Bluetooth signals to the sponges; there would be two ways to transmit
information if needed.

8. Prototype
of the
Electrode
Band

9. Prototype of the
Data Analyzer

10. HeadShot’s Impact
Concussions are unpredictable and dangerous; having a device like the one we have made
would help future research on head injuries and treatment. Our reach would be to athletic
trainers and physicians to help them more accurately diagnose and treat head injuries. From
a business standpoint, this would be a lucrative investment. It is protocol for trainers to see
athletes if they get hit in the head, no matter the severity. Up to 3.8 million concussions
happen every year just in sports and recreation related areas. Additionally, concussions can
occur in almost every sport: soccer, hockey, football, rugby etc.
Headshot will transform modern rehabilitation and understanding if given a chance. Our
entrepreneurship team is made up of athletes who see the effects of concussions first-hand.
We have the solution to the problem, so please help us apply it.
Thank you

11. Research Cited
“Brain Injury Treatment Concussion." Brain Injury Resource Center. N.p., 2004. Web. 28 Feb. 2017.
Carlezon, William A., and Elena H. Chartoff. "Intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) in rodents to study the
neurobiology of motivation." Nature News. Nature Publishing Group, 15 Nov. 2007. Web. 18 Feb.
2017.
"Concussion Facts | Sports Concussion Institute." Concussion Facts | Sports Concussion Institute. N.p.,
2012. Web. 28 Feb. 2017.
“Diagnosing and Treating Concussion." Weill Cornell Brain and Spine Center. N.p., Nov. 2014. Web. 28
Feb. 2017.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Facts About Concussion and Brain Injury."
Brainline.org. N.p., 24 Jan. 2016. Web. 17 Feb. 2017.
"Top 3 Devices for Monitoring and Measuring Brain Activity." IMotions. N.p., 07 Dec. 2016. Web. 22 Feb.
2017.
"Types and Levels of Brain Injury." Brain Injury Alliance of Utah. N.p., Feb. 2002. Web. 28 Feb. 2017.