Capitainer is delighted to announce that its blood collection devices have been selected for SWECON (The SWEdish CONcussion study in elite handball), marking a significant research collaboration between the Swedish Handball Federation (SHF) and Linköping University (LiU).
As a contact sport, handball carries inherent risks of head injuries, with concussions representing a significant health concern. In a cross-sectional study from Germany including 3000 athletes, 24% of handball players had previously experienced a concussion, while a Swedish longitudinal study concluded that concussions represent 22-28% of all reported injuries in the sport (1,2). Concussions are among the more complex injuries to diagnose and manage, presenting challenges for both players and medical teams in terms of diagnosis, management and rehabilitation. Blood biomarkers have emerged as valuable objective indicators of brain injury, potentially offering more precise assessment than traditional observation-based methods alone.
The SWECON study was initiated by Associate Professor Kajsa Johansson from LiU’s physiotherapy unit, and performed in cooperation between LiU, SHF, the University of Dalarna (PhD Mikael Swarén) and the University of Gothenburg (prof. Henrik Zetterberg). The study aims to monitor sports-related concussions in elite handball players during the 2024/2025 season.
Eight senior teams are participating in the study, which will use Capitainer®B 50 devices to collect brain biomarker samples. This volumetric microsampling technology enables on-site capillary sampling in cooperation with team medical staff, providing a practical solution for tracking potential biomarker changes following head injuries during the season.
”Capitainer offers an easy-to-use method that gives us an opportunity to collect capillary samples on site. This solution is perfect for our study since we aim to analyse possible biomarker changes in case of a head injury during the handball season,” study leader Kajsa Johansson noted.
The study has received approval from the Swedish Ethical Review Authority, with results expected to be published in 2026.
References:
- Tooth C, Picot B, Edouard P, Seil R. Injuries in Handball – From Youth to Senior Players. Aspetar Sports Medicine Journal. 2023;422-430.
- Åman M, Forssblad M, Larsén K. Incidence and body location of reported acute sport injuries in seven sports using a national insurance database. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2018 Mar;28(3):1147-1158.