According to new research, possibly less in evidence than those staring eyes, head shaking might be an unseen sign of concussion.
Researchers believe that by adequately recognizing this movement, called SHAAKE, within concussion protocols, many untreated injuries-particularly in sports-might be avoided.
There’s a subtle but potent concussion signal found by researchers from the Concussion Legacy Foundation and Mass General Brigham that could change how we think about brain injuries.
A potential new sign of concussion: the brief shake of the head after the severe collision, which can often be ruled as a minor reaction.
This phenomenon, named “Spontaneous Head Shake After a Kinematic Event” or SHAAKE is something that every sportmen knows about; it could prove to be an invaluable resource for early detection of concussions.
Almost three-quarters of the young athletes who took part in the study reported that they shook their heads after being hit, and many of those experiences involved concussion-like symptoms.
“We’ve all seen this face before, but it’s not yet part of medical decision-making guidelines,” said research co-author Dr. Dan Daneshvar.
By adding SHAAKE officially into the tests for concussion screenings, more injuries might be identified and addressed early when they are easy to treat rather than later when they have developed into major issues.
Such an understanding of head-shaking as a possible prodromal symptom may be inhibiting the rate of undiagnosed concussions in sports such as football, where concussions are always a concern.
Experts argue that the risks of missing a concussion far outweigh the cost of taking an athlete out of competition for evaluation.
