{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,30]],"date-time":"2025-07-30T16:09:23Z","timestamp":1753891763975,"version":"3.41.2"},"reference-count":42,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,14]],"date-time":"2025-05-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1747180800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Neurol."],"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title><jats:p>This study examines the capability of detecting neurological changes caused by subconcussive head impacts by analyzing the blink reflex of an individual when they encounter puffs of air as a stimulus.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>Following attrition and technical issues, 26 participants (15 females, 11\u202fmales: age\u202f\u00b1\u202fSD; 21.3\u202f\u00b1\u202f2.11 years) with at least 5 years of soccer heading experience were included in the final analysis. Participants performed 10 soccer headers with soccer balls projected at a speed of 30 mph. Parameters related to blink reflex, including blink latency, differential latency, number of oscillations, delta 30, and excursions, were assessed by the EyeStat device at pre-heading baseline, and 2-h and 24-h post-heading.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>Significant declines in blink reflex parameters were observed at specific post-heading timepoints compared to baseline. At 24-h post-heading, significant reductions were detected in the overall blink latency (<jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\u202f=\u202f0.0255), the blink latencies of the right eye (<jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\u202f=\u202f0.0411), ipsilateral latency (<jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\u202f=\u202f0.0314) and contralateral latency (<jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\u202f=\u202f0.0434). At 2-h post-heading, significant declines were observed in the overall delta 30 value (<jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\u202f=\u202f0.0053) and delta 30 of the right eye (<jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\u202f=\u202f0.0260). Both delta 30 values returned to baseline by the 24-h post-heading timepoint. No significant changes in the differential latency, number of oscillations, and excursion of the eye were found.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Discussion<\/jats:title><jats:p>These findings suggest changes in the latency and delta 30 of a blink reflex is a viable measure of detection for neurological changes when monitoring subconcussive head impacts.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fneur.2025.1589577","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,14]],"date-time":"2025-05-14T04:13:07Z","timestamp":1747195987000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Assessing the capability of the corneal blink reflex to display neurological changes following subconcussive head impacts"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Osamudiamen S.","family":"Ogbeide","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Madeleine K.","family":"Nowak","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Lillian","family":"Klemsz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Dena","family":"Garner","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Keisuke","family":"Kawata","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,14]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"318","DOI":"10.1097\/HTR.0000000000000767","article-title":"Short-term neurologic manifestations of repetitive head impacts among athletes: a scoping review","volume":"37","author":"Stephen","year":"2022","journal-title":"J Head Trauma 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