King-Devick test

Phoenix, AZ — Concussions are in the national spotlight for the damage being done to student and professional athletes. Determining when an athlete should be removed from play is a major challenge in preventing injury. Athletes routinely deny symptoms. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that between 1.6 and 3.8 million students have concussions every year. In an effort to bring awareness and increase concussion screening, Mayo Clinic has agreed to a licensing agreement with King-Devick Test Inc., which has developed a proven indicator of ocular motor, visual and cognitive function for concussion detection and evaluation on the sidelines of sporting events to help with the decision to sideline athletes to prevent injury. Under the terms of the agreement, King-Devick and Mayo Clinic will form a scientific governance committee and Mayo will have membership on the company’s board of directors. Packaging for the test will indicate it is offered in association with Mayo Clinic. Revenue Mayo receives will be used to support its nonprofit mission in patient care, education and research. The King-Devick Test is a quick, accurate and objective concussion screening tool that can be administered on the sidelines by parents, coaches, athletic trainers, school nurses and medical professionals, and a Mayo Clinic study indicated it detects concussions and possible 'silent' concussions. Click here to listen to audio from today's news conference. Click here for a transcript of today's news conference. MEDIA CONTACT: Jim McVeigh, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, newsbureau@mayo.edu

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – The use of small, portable eye-tracking devices in cockpits could be a future additional safeguard for pilots and other safety critical operators, according to a Mayo Clinic study published in the July issue of Aviation, Space and Environmental Medicine. Eye movement metrics have been recognized as promising indicators of altered cognitive performance caused by hypoxia at high altitudes. Hypoxia is a lower than normal level of oxygen in your blood. To function properly, your body needs a certain level of oxygen circulating in the blood to cells and tissues. When this level of oxygen falls below a certain amount, hypoxia can cause a variety of symptoms including shortness of breath, impaired speech, slowed reaction time and passing out which can be a safety threat at high altitudes. MEDIA CONTACT: Jim McVeigh, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 480-301-4222, mcveigh.jim@mayo.edu  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4K310fNJFfc&feature=youtu.be