App for detection of brain injuries in footballers introduced

The football players association (Pasp) on Thursday presented a mobile application called BioEye designed to aid in the detection of brain injuries and diseases by tracking eye movements. The application will operate on a pilot basis.

Pasp’s president Spyros Neophytides said that the decision to adopt the application stemmed from the need for greater protection of footballers and those involved in football matches or training sessions.

“The decision was made after several meetings with both team medical staff and scientific collaborators of the football players association,” he said.

He also clarified that Pasp’s goal is unequivocally prevention. Therefore, the application will not replace medical diagnosis but will act preventatively for members of the association and always under the guidance and collaboration of medical teams.

Moreover, he highlighted that Pasp, at its own expense, will provide free access codes to all registered members.

Present at the unveiling of the application of Thursday were Apoel’s goalkeeper and Pasp board member Andreas Christodoulou, BioEye Chief Growth Officer Onn Dodis and neuroscientist Joanne Fielding.

Christodoulou, after highlighting the significance of the application, added that it will be a vital tool for protecting footballers, especially in lower categories.

Dodis also expressed enthusiasm for collaborating with Pasp, adding that this application, “will offer great security and support to footballers.”

Joining the presentation via Zoom was also BioEye product and innovation director Gadi Mikles, who explained that the application will be able to detect brain injuries within 60 seconds.

He also added that the medical history of each athlete would be stored on the application, and results could be sent to their doctor.

“Around 50 per cent of concussion cases remain undiagnosed, and any injuries could have future implications for various diseases like Alzheimer’s,” said.

“However, under no circumstances does the application replace a doctor and clinical examinations.”

He also added that from a statistical perspective, every fifth football game experiences a concussion incident, while women face two and a half times more risk.

Finally, Joanne Fielding explained the application’s function from a medical perspective, noting that brain injuries and diseases affect eye movements through neurons.

Additionally, she described the two tests the application conducts, one concerning eye movement using the phone’s front camera and the other testing eye reaction to light from the phone’s rear camera.

At the end of the presentation, a test was conducted on Apoel’s Christodoulou to demonstrate how the application works.