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When someone, usually an athlete such as a football or hockey player, sustains a head injury on the field of play, coaches and parents wonder whether the injury is significant, whether it is a true concussion requiring additional medical attention.  Now a retrospective survey from Boston University’s CTE and Alzheimer’s Research Centers suggests that a simple head shake following head injuries correlates closely with true concussions.

The sign of concussion, called the SHAAKE which stands for Spontaneous Headshake After a Kinematic Event, is a rapid back and forth head motion following a blow to the head.  For all sports, SHAAKE had a 72% positive predictive value for diagnosing a self-reported concussion.  For football, the positive predictive value was 99.5%.

This easily recognizable sign should alert all concerned that an athletic has very likely sustained a concussion and requires further medical diagnostic and therapeutic measures.

https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/14/20/2314

#shaake #headshaking #concussion #sports #football #cte