Author: reflexion_admin

The ability to separate latency time (an indicator of the brain’s information processing speed) from reaction time is a huge benefit of the Reflexion Edge. Going far beyond our original instructions to “touch the lights quickly,” our team has expanded our test range to incorporate other types of cognitive measurements to provide the most complete picture of a user’s brain function.

The results of our Go/No Go test currently focus on reflexes and coordination.

The top two graphs are like a dart board for the left and right hand. The scatter plot shows where the athlete touched each target, providing a visual of their hand-eye coordination. Users with vision problems may not be able to properly locate the target in space, and may consistently overshoot or undershoot. Millimeter scores are shown to quantify the average accuracy and precision.

Reaction times are broken down into the following equation as well: Latency + Motor = Total Time

Within the next month, we will refine the Edge’s cognitive function measuring system to differentiate and show when a user “flinches” at a red light, and for how long. This will further quantify ability to conduct decision/correction processing.

Altogether, Go-No-Go is an accurate measure of information processing and focuses on the brain’s ability to make rapid decisions.

A few days ago, Matt Roda and I had the chance to install the Edge at the Hill School in Pottstown, PA. All of Hill’s athletes are loaded into our software, and can now use the Edge to better understand their cognitive performance. This is only the beginning, and we are excited to roll more Edges out to our other customers in the coming weeks, months, and years.

This week, we moved into our new office space in downtown Lancaster, and are excited to see how it fills in.

We receive the next batch of Edges from our contract manufacturer, WillowWorks located in Columbus, OH next week, and have plans for each of them. One will travel with Matt Roda to be shown to future customers. Another will fly out to Ryan Harrison, a new addition to the Reflexion Team who will be helping us to reach even more teams that care deeply about the wellness of their athletes. Two will soon belong to a university in Pennsylvania, and one will be sent to a Chiropractic Neurologist who believes the Edge will be a value add to his practice.

We have the next – larger – batch lined up, and we are working as efficiently as possible to get more Edges to market.

Last but not least, today we are rolling out a brand new set of features for our customers that will help them manage the process of training and tracking their athletes. Our users can now be notified when their athletes have completed a test, easily leave comments for themselves and their athletes, and determine the next steps for their athletes within our app. They can now spend less time organizing calendars and scheduling activities and more time working with their athletes to make them better, stronger, and healthier.

“There is no ‘make adjustment’ to the way you tackle. Even in a perfect form tackle the body is led by the head,” tweeted San Francisco 49ers cornerback and Super Bowl XLVII champion Richard Sherman last Sunday.

“The rule is idiotic And should be dismissed immediately. When you watch rugby players tackle they are still lead by their head. Will be flag football soon.”

Sherman is one of many players, fans, and pundits to criticize the NFL’s newly-instated “helmet rule” since it was approved at the league’s annual meeting last March.

Officially, Rule 12, Section 2, Article 8 of the NFL Rule Book states that “it is a foul if a player lowers his head to initiate and make contact with his helmet against an opponent,” and that the resulting penalty will be a loss of 15 yards and an automatic first down if the fowl is committed by a defensive player. The penalized player may also be disqualified.

 

The rule and resulting controversy come at a time when the safety of professional football is frequently questioned. Last season’s annual injury report showed a drastic increase in diagnosed concussions throughout the NFL when compared to the 2016 season. Players suffered 243 concussions in 2016. That figure increased by 13.5 percent to a final tally of 281 diagnosed concussions in 2017. 45 of last season’s concussions were reportedly sustained during preseason.

This increase can be partially attributed to an uptick in self-reporting by players, according to the league’s report. But the NFL has also faced criticism following other severe injury incidents. Star Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier suffered a severe spinal contusion after making a head-lead tackle last December.

When it first announced the rule change, the league insisted that the new measure was instated to protect the tackling player as well as the player being tackled. But as fans, players and coaches saw and were confused by the effect of the new regulation throughout this month’s preseason games, they wondered, like Sherman, if the game itself had been damaged.

 

According to Yahoo Sports, 51 violations of the rule had occurred during preseason as of Tuesday, August 21. 43 of these penalties were called against defensive players.

 

Despite widespread backlash, NFL Vice President of Operations Troy Vincent released a statement in support of the rule with a slight clarification of its implications.

 

The NFL regular season begins Thursday, September 6, when reigning Super Bowl champions the Philadelphia Eagles take on the Atlanta Falcons.

Reflexion is officially three years old today!

Matt, Patrick and I began discussing our vision for the project that would eventually become Reflexion Interactive Technologies three years and ten months ago. But our articles of incorporation were filed on August 15th, 2015, so the cake is cut today.

We’ve come a long way since the early days and late weekend nights we spent eating pizza and designing early prototypes in my parents’ basement. Though progress seems slow at times, we continue to gain momentum in our effort to improve the safety of sport through performance training and cognitive testing.

This birthday falls at an interesting time in our company. So much of our time and energy has been dedicated to learning the needs of athletic trainers, physical therapists, and other professionals in an effort to understand how we can best serve and protect our users. We’ve talked to hundreds of athletes, coaches, athletic trainers, and parents in our efforts to refine the Edge multi-use tool it is today.

All of that energy has finally allowed us to put the Reflexion Edge in the hands of our first customers. Our focus now turns to creating happy users who are equally passionate about vision-based performance training and brain screening. This is a huge step for us, and we are excited to gather feedback throughout the upcoming sports season.

We want to thank the countless advisers and strategic partners who have helped us reach this milestone. Reflexion has always valued constructive criticism that helps us better define who we are and what we do. The past three years have been a period of productivity and growth thanks to your support, and we are eager to move forward into this exciting new stage of our mission.

Thank you all!

Matt Roda

CMO/Cofounder