Solving Critical Problems

Neck Strength Assessment Tool Holds Promise

by Jack Bailey ’18

Strong necks are one way to prevent head and traumatic brain injuries, and the School of Health and Applied Human Sciences’ Alex McDaniel, assistant professor of exercise science, and Lindsey Schroeder, associate professor of athletic training, have invented a device to measure this strength.

McDaniel and Schroeder began researching mild traumatic brain injury in athletics in 2017. McDaniel noticed that researchers were studying ways to improve neck strength to ward off potential traumatic brain injuries in athletes, but no one was focusing on the same issue in the military. Between 2000 and 2019, there were 416,000 traumatic brain injuries in the military; 82% of those were mild.

“In the 82nd Airborne, the number one cause of decreased military readiness is brain trauma from parachute landings. We saw an opportunity,” McDaniel said. Concussions, which are caused by an impact that moves the brain within the skull, can lead to problems with thinking, concentration, mood or other neurological changes. A neck that is stronger, thicker or aligned in a neutral posture – with the ears aligned with the shoulders – may reduce the amount of energy transferred to the brain during an impact, reducing the risk and severity of injury.

In the 82nd Airborne, the number one cause of decreased military readiness is brain trauma from parachute landings. We saw an opportunity.

Military paratroopers are especially vulnerable to the recurrence of concussions. They can land at a rate of 15 to 20 miles an hour while carrying 100-150 pounds of gear.

“Even small, repetitive blows impact the brain, so every time they launch their parachute adds up over time. Other landings can be quite impactful and concussions are immediate,” Schroeder said. Lab research has shown that neck strength can reduce head acceleration following impact, suggesting that neck strengthening exercises may be a concussion prevention strategy.

McDaniel and Schroeder were awarded a $110,000 Translational Research Grant from the North Carolina Biotechnology Center to develop an enhanced prototype of their patented neck strength assessment tool, rigorously test it and work towards approval from the Food and Drug Administration as a medical device. The grant was awarded in collaboration with Justin Streuli from the Office of Innovation and Commercialization, Bill Kawczynski from the Office of Military Affairs and multiple community partners.