Effect of Athletic Headgear on Visual and Sensory Performance (2016)
Undergraduates: Michelle Kramer, Liz Teel Erin Wasserman
Faculty Advisor: Jason Mihalik
Department: Exercise & Sport Science
Current helmet testing does not consider implications on ability to see and respond, which is key to reducing injury risk. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of athletic headgear (i.e., helmets) on visual and sensory performance, as measured by scores on the Senaptec Sensory Station. 30 male varsity and club athletes (football, lacrosse, and ice hockey players) will be assessed on visual clarity, contrast sensitivity, depth perception, near-far quickness, target capture, perception span, multiple object tracking, eye-hand coordination, go/no go, and hand reaction time via the computer based system under helmeted and unhelmeted conditions. A 2 (helmeted vs. unhelmeted condition) by 3 (football vs. lacrosse vs. ice hockey) mixed-model ANOVA will be performed. The study is intended to prompt discussion regarding helmet designs and functional vision. If a significant difference is found with helmeted vision, this could have implications for helmet safety testing and vision training with helmets. Note: Study is still in progress