The neck device, called a Q-Collar, is designed to press gently on the jugular vein to slow blood outflow increasing the brain's blood volume, according to researchers from Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Centre in the US.
The resulting effect of the increased blood volume helps the brain fit tighter within the skull cavity, reducing the energy absorbed by the brain during collisions, researchers said.
The analysis of neurophysiological and neuroanatomical data from the brain showed athletes in the non-collar wearing group had significant functional and structural changes to white matter regions of the brain but these changes were not evident in those who did wear the Q-Collar during play, they said.
In the first study which involved hockey players, half the
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participants wore the collar for the hockey season and the other half did not. Each of the helmets for the athletes was outfitted with an accelerometre to measure every head impact.
Results from the imaging and electrophysiological testing indicated that athletes in the non-collar wearing group had a disruption of microstructure and functional performance of the brain. Athletes wearing the collar did not show a significant difference despite similar head impacts, researchers said.
The other 21 players did not wear the collar.
All of the athletes' helmets were outfitted with an accelerometer - a computer chip - which tracked every hit sustained during the pre- and post- season.
Researchers used advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques, including diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), to determine the efficacy of the collar to prevent structural changes to the brain following a season of head impacts.
"The results of the studies demonstrate a potential approach to protecting the brain from changes sustained within a competitive football and hockey season, as evidenced by brain imaging," said Myer.
The findings were published in the journals Frontiers in Neurology and British Journal of Sports Medicine.