Over the last few decades, the discovery of clinically viable methods to track the concussion recovery of athletes has been a focal point in sports & athletics research. Most professional and collegiate athletics have implemented methods to gauge an athlete’s recovery from concussion; though, most methods rely on visual observation as a primary metric. As concussion research has advanced, a Tandem Gait Exam – which is the process of walking in a straight line, touching each foot heel-to-toe with each step – has emerged as a practical test of dynamic motor control following sports-related concussions.

Recently, a group of researchers from the University of Nevada-Reno incorporated modular gait analysis platform – Tekscan’s Strideway™ system – as a tool to connect visual observation of a Tandem Gait Exam with quantifiable data on force and plantar pressure, plus temporal, spatial, and kinetic movement. Their research(1) was slated to be featured at the 2020 American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), which unfortunately had been cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As a result, Alyssa Rubino, Product Manager for Tekscan’s Medical Division, sat down with U of Nevada-Reno researchers Nicholas Murray (PhD, CIC), Phil Pavilionis (MS, LAT, ATC, CSCS, PES, FMS1), and Madison Taylor to discuss the research they planned to present at ACSM. They discussed:

• Tandem gait testing for assessing concussions: how it became a clinically accepted method and why they selected this exam for their research
• Results of the research study
• Feedback on using the Strideway system for research
• Next steps for sports related concussion research

Learn how these Researchers Used Tekscan Technology in an All-New Sports-Related Concussion Application

Click the play button below to watch.

(1) Murray, N., Moran, R., Islas, A., Pavilionis, P., Szekely, B., Alphonsa, S., Howell, D., Buckley, T., Cipriani, D., "Sport-related Concussion Adopt a More Conservative Approach to Straight Path Walking and Turning during Tandemn Gait." (2020) University of Nevada-Reno.