Characterising Head Acceleration Events in Australian Football Using Instrumented Mouthguards and Blood Biomarkers

In Australian football, there is growing concern for the neurological consequences of head acceleration events (HAEs; 'impacts'), which are common in the sport. Until recently, no technologies could reliably measure HAEs during sports participation. The thesis aimed to understand the incidence, causes, and biological consequences of non-concussive HAE exposure using instrumented mouthguards (iMGs), which contain accelerometers to measure forces experienced during HAEs, and blood measurements of brain-specific proteins to determine associations between HAEs and brain cell injury. Elevations in these proteins occur following non-concussive HAEs, and both technologies show promise for optimising head impact management.