Figure 1. University of Wisconsin-Madison are collaborating with the NFL on designing an effective mouthguard to reduce head injuries Novel Mouthguard Sensors and Their Role in Better Understanding Head Injuryꀀ਀ Writer: Daniel Dai Editor: Jan Rossner Designer: Siri Dandu CITATION Every year, concussions and head trauma reemerge as a major talking point in the NFL਀㠀 In 2022, the NFL faced great scrutiny over its The NFL issued a statement in which “ataxia”, a lack concussion protocol as Miami Dolphins quarterback of coordinated movements, was added to the list of Tua Tagovailoa suffered repeated head injuries symptoms that would bar a player from returning to throughout the season [1]. The NFL’s game day the game. The addition of ataxia to the no-go concussion protocol consists of a list of “no-go” symptoms will likely protect a greater number of symptoms: in the event of a collision, game day players who sustains head injury by allowing them medical personnel will evaluate whether or not the rest and barring them from returning to the 昀椀eld. player is experiencing any of these immediate no-go Despite this new policy, players are still susceptible symptoms. Prior to Tagovailoa’s injuries, the no-go to head injury. Though the NFL reports a downward criteria included loss of consciousness (including trend in concussions (from 275 in 2015 to 187 in fencing posture and/or impact seizure), gross motor 2021), former players and legal experts are instability (GMI) as well as amnesia. It was skeptical of whether or not the protocols are always concluded that the GMI suffered by Tagovailoa in a followed and cases documented [2].਀ꨀ previous game was the result of a previous back In response to this scrutiny, the NFL has expanded injury, which was examined by other members of upon its efforts to collect data from on-昀椀eld head the medical staff. The failure of medical judgment impacts by partnering with an expanding network of displayed in Tagovailoa’s recurrent injuries has research universities. How do they plan on elicited former players to call for a change in the collecting this data?਀⨀ concussion protocol to better protect its players. In response to this, the National Football League Through novel mouthguard sensors⸀਀ Players Association (NFLPA) terminated the  ਀ unaf昀椀liated neurotrauma consultant (UNC) who had dismissed protocol during Tagovailoa’s 昀椀rst injury. 51