Concussion prevention with the Q Collar?

Hello parents and coaches,

I have been asked to summarize what is known about the “Q Collar” and the truth is, valid and reliable scientific information is difficult (ok, completely missing if I can be honest) to find. However, ads are everywhere for its sale….

First, the Q-Collar was motivated by the CLAIM that woodpeckers don’t get brain injuries from repetitive hits. This has, in actuality been shown to be a false claim about woodpeckers, but I am not clear on how they were even able to evaluate this.

*a claim bears the burden to prove itself….

Moving on.

The Q Collar works by “restricting the flow of blood from the head” and hypothesizes that slightly more blood in the head would give the brain “an extra layer of cushioning,” protecting it “from effects associated with repetitive sub-concussive head impacts.”

The idea sounds good, but this is what is currently known:

• The Q collar has not been demonstrated to prevent long-term cognitive function deficits.

• The ultimate impact on clinical outcomes has not been evaluated.

• Data do not demonstrate that the device can prevent concussion or serious brain injury.

The risks include:

• Syncope (passing out)

• Giving the user a false sense of protection which could lead to more risky play

As a sport scientist, the main red flag I see is their research seems to be funded by the company itself. The market for the Q-Collar is anticipated to be worth $30 million. This presents a bias. I only found one academic publication on the efficicacy of this device and it is an editorial: Smoliga JM, Wang L. Br J Sports Med October 2019 Vol 53 No 20.

An editorial is an article or any other written document, often unsigned, written by the senior editorial people or publisher of a newspaper or magazine, that expresses the author(s)'s opinion about a particular topic or issue.

So, that’s the info parents. If I learn more, I will update this blog.