Healthy Habits: Head Case

After Dan Nicholson was diagnosed with CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy), a dementia-like brain disease afflicting athletes exposed to repeated brain trauma, he vowed to never let his three kids suffer the same fate. Frustrated with the lack of concussion monitoring on the field, he and his business partner Tom Hodgkins, also a parent of four, created the Head Case Concussion Management System. They launched a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo to bring the completed prototype to market, and are looking to gain the support of parents of young athletes. Their mission is to minimize the risk of long-term brain injury for kids through affordable concussion management. I had a chance to interview Dan Nicholson to find out more.

1 - What were the signs that led up to your CTE diagnosis?  

While CTE can only be officially diagnosed post-mortem, I have been told by my doctor that I have all of the symptoms associated with CTE. I experience memory loss, adult onset depression, anxiety, severe mood swings, and mental gaps in my day. It is a daily struggle, and if I had known then what I know now, my life could have been different.

2 - You and your business partner are both fathers. How does that play into the seriousness of this issue for you?  

Our kids are why we started Head Case, and they have everything to do with our mission. I don’t want my kids to have to go through what I’ve been through. It is important that kids everywhere don't lose future opportunities in life because they weren't diagnosed or treated properly. I want to use my experiences and help educate others on the dangers of concussions. As an adult, I am now in a position to make a difference and we are working hard to accomplish that goal.

3 - What sets your system apart from other concussion tools?  

Head Case is the only multi-platform concussion management system that is designed to measure hits and help identify concussion symptoms. Head Case provides an affordable three-part concussion management system that measures head impacts in G-force, records impact data and provides diagnostic tools to detect symptoms of potential concussions. The Head Case system is for athletes, parents and coaches interested in concussion symptom detection and management, both on the field and at home. The Head Case system can track and record an athlete’s concussion data over his/her entire athletic career. By tracking and recording all of the information surrounding diagnosed concussions throughout an athlete’s career, coaches, parents and athletes can make informed decisions about head health and the future of an athlete’s play.

4 - Until this product is available, what tips do you have for parents to help prevent and manage concussions?  

It is critical that parents are educated and aware of the dangers concussions present. Ultimately, a concussion is brain damage and is as serious as any other injury on the body.  Athletes, parents and coaches should always be on the lookout for symptoms and signs of a concussion. Ninety percent of concussions do not involve a loss of consciousness, and symptoms can arise immediately or several hours after a hit. I always tell parents to follow one simple rule: when in doubt, sit them out.