World Rugby has announced eye-tracking technology will be trialled to help with the detection of concussions in the sport. Eanna Falvey, chief medical officer for global governing body World Rugby, said: "We believe that oculomotor screening examination in rugby has the potential to boost the identification and management of concussions by objectively identifying potential abnormalities in oculomotor function." The issue of head injuries in rugby and football is under the spotlight, with growing fears over long-term health damage. A legal action has been launched on behalf of a group of ex-players suffering from neurological conditions against World Rugby, England's Rugby Football Union and the Welsh Rugby Union. A separate study of elite male rugby players identified biomarkers in a player's saliva that were 94 percent accurate in predicting the outcome of a head injury assessment.

Source: News 24 March 30, 2021 12:11 UTC