Smartphone App Helps Spot Concussions

(Inside Science) -- In sports, concussions happen. High school and college athletes suffer most often in football, ice hockey and soccer. Concussions don’t always mean being “knocked out” or losing consciousness -- other symptoms include confusion, dizziness and vision problems.

In sports, with a head injury, time is of the essence. Any possible concussion needs prompt attention because sometimes there’s potential for a more serious injury.

Now, fast help can be right at the fingertips. One way to look for signs of a concussion is to measure how the iris in the eye responds to light, and researchers have developed an app that can be used on the field to help test that. The app uses the flash on the smartphone’s camera to shine light in the eye and then the camera measures the pupil dilation. Coaches and physicians at the game or practice can use the data collected to see if the person shows characteristics of a concussion.