Sep 27, 2024 08:00:00

78% of participants in slap fighting, a fighting sport that only involves slapping, show signs of concussion

In recent years, '

Slap Fighting ,' a fighting sport that involves fighting using only slaps, has become increasingly popular, with a large-scale tournament called ' Power Slap ' being held, and a TV show based on it that has aired up to season 3. When neuroscientists analyzed season 1 of the Power Slap TV show, they reported that approximately 78% of participants showed signs of concussion.

Video Analysis of Concussion Among Slap Fighting Athletes | Traumatic Brain Injury | JAMA Surgery | JAMA Network
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamasurgery/article-abstract/2823891

Slap Fighting Trauma | University of Pittsburgh
https://www.neurosurgery.pitt.edu/news/study-examines-trauma-signs-slap-fighters

Study of 'Slap Fighting' Reveals Signs of Brain Injury in 78% of Participants : ScienceAlert
https://www.sciencealert.com/study-of-slap-fighting-reveals-signs-of-brain-injury-in-78-of-participants

Slap fighting is a sport in which two opponents stand facing each other and take turns slapping each other in the face with all their might. The person receiving the slap is not allowed to wear protective gear or take any action to defend themselves. The match continues unless one of the opponents is knocked out or gives up, so the second player is guaranteed to receive at least one slap, and the first player will also receive a slap if he or she fails to knock out the other player with one blow.

You can get a good idea of what slap fighting is like by watching the video below. Of course, the whole video is full of violent scenes, and it is not uncommon for participants to faint after being slapped, so please be careful when watching.

SlapFIGHT: REDEMPTION - BRUTAL 8 Man Slap Fighting Tournament - YouTube


Neurologists from the University of Pittsburgh and the VA Pittsburgh Health Care System analyzed footage from the first season of Power Slap to see if there were any signs of a concussion. Signs of a concussion include a blank expression, a blank stare, a delay in rising, loss of motor coordination, vomiting, memory loss, and seizures on impact. If one of these signs was observed and multiple neurologists agreed, it was determined that a 'concussion had occurred.'

Similar principles are used to identify concussions in American football players, but about a quarter of football players who actually had a concussion showed no visible symptoms.

Analysis showed that of the 333 slaps observed in Season 1, 97 slaps, or about 30%, showed signs of concussion. Of the 56 participants, 44 (about 78%) showed signs of at least one concussion, and 20 participants showed signs of concussion more than once during the competition.

The most common signs of concussion were loss of motor coordination, delayed rising, and blank or blank facial expressions. This analysis was based solely on visible signs, and no medically diagnosed concussions were made. However, the research team argued that 'slap fighting can cause traumatic brain injuries in participants, potentially resulting in long-term consequences.'

'While slap fighting may be entertaining to watch for the layperson, it is of great concern to medical professionals,' said Raj Swaroop Rabadi, lead author of the study and a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. 'Our ultimate goal is to make all professional sports safer for the neurological health of athletes. It's very difficult to ban such sports, but we can raise awareness of the associated harms.'