Almost all cases of chronic traumatic encephalopathy analysed through research are linked to exposure to repetitive head impact, primarily as a result of contact and collision sports, a groundbreaking new study has discovered. Over 600 cases of CTE have been published in literature from multiple international research groups – and 97 per cent of those have confirmed exposure to repetitive head impact.

While some sports organizations like the National Hockey League and World Rugby still claim their sports do not cause CTE, a new review of the evidence by the world’s leading CTE expert strengthens the case that repetitive head impact exposure is the chief risk factor for the condition. What’s more, 82 percent of the purported CTE cases that occurred in the absence of RHI, where up-to-date criteria were used, the study authors disclosed that families were never asked what sports the decedent played.

The only drawback of these trackers is that they can’t be submerged in water, hence it is difficult to track fitness-related metrics while swimming. Therefore, researchers reporting in ACS Nano have applied with a thin, slippery coating to conductive fabric and developed a breathable underwater movement sensor. Further, the sensor is integrated into a smart device that wirelessly alerts a smartphone app when a swimmer stops moving, to indicate if the person is drowning.