Grant: Master's Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

Football players face a higher risk of low force repeated head impacts compared to athletes in other contact sports. Although low force repeated head impacts don't immediately cause noticeable concussion symptoms we want to understand if they could lead to long-term changes in brain health. The study follows Varsity Queen's University Football players throughout one season, using three main data collection tools: special mouthguards that measure the force and location of head impacts during games and practice, brain scans that look at the health of the brain's communication pathways (white matter), and a robotic testing system that measures players' coordination and cognitive abilities. We're particularly interested in whether impacts to specific areas of the head cause changes in the corresponding regions of the brain and if these changes affect players' physical coordination and mental performance. Focusing on the brain's white matter enables us to understand better how these repeated impacts might disrupt cognitive and motor skills. The findings from this study could help make football safer by better understanding the effects of an accumulation of head impacts below the concussion threshold. While previous studies have looked at apparent brain injuries like concussions, this research focuses on the potential effects of more minor, repeated impacts that players experience regularly during play. This comprehensive approach combines cutting-edge technology and testing methods to provide a holistic view of how football impacts might affect brain health over time. Policymakers could use these finding to further develop clearer guidelines for when players should rest and create more effective safety protocols across all levels of football.