Neuro Athletes,

During a game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Hamlin collapsed after making a tackle and was rushed to the UC Medical Center in critical condition. 

The game was postponed indefinitely by the NFL, with Commissioner Roger Goodell and NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith both stating that their primary concern was for the player and his well-being. The NFL and NFLPA were in agreement that the game should not be resumed.

While the exact cause of Hamlin's cardiac arrest is not yet known, it is almost certainly caused by a rare condition called commotio cordis.

This is an extremely rare condition and you won’t often hear about it unless you’re in the medical field.

This condition occurs when a blunt trauma to the chest, such as a hard thrown ball or a tackle in football, occurs at a specific moment in the cardiac electrical cycle. If the impact is high enough and occurs at the right moment, it can cause the heart to go into cardiac arrest.

What is the cardiac electrical cycle and how does it relate to commotio cordis? 

The cardiac electrical cycle refers to the sequence of events that occur in the heart as it pumps blood. This cycle starts with the atria (the top chambers of the heart) contracting and pumping blood into the ventricles (the bottom chambers of the heart). The ventricles then contract and pump blood out of the heart.

As the ventricles contract, an electrical signal called the QRS complex is generated. This signal travels through the heart and causes the ventricles to contract and pump blood. After the QRS complex, the heart goes into a brief resting period called the ST segment. During this time, the ventricles repolarize or reset, to prepare for the next contraction. The final phase of the cardiac electrical cycle is the T wave, during which the ventricles complete their repolarization.

For commotio cordis to occur, a blunt trauma to the chest must occur during the upstroke of the T wave. This impact can disrupt the normal electrical activity of the heart and cause it to go into cardiac arrest. 

It is important to note that this impact must occur within a specific time window and be of a certain intensity in order to cause commotio cordis.

While the events of January 2 were certainly scary and dramatic, it's important to remember that commotio cordis is an extremely rare condition and is not related to any vaccines.

This mostly happens to baseball players whenever they get hit in the middle of the chest with a hard-thrown ball.

The treatment for this condition involves CPR and defibrillation as soon as possible because it can be life-threatening.

My thoughts and prayers go out to Damar Hamlin and his family during this difficult time. We hope for a full recovery for the young safety.

What are your thoughts on this? Let me know by clicking the ‘leave a comment’ button below!