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Kawas MI, Atcheson KM, Flood WC, Sheridan CA, Barcus RA, Flashman LA, McAllister TW, Lipford ME, Kim J, Urban JE, Davenport EM, Vaughan CG, Sai KKS, Stitzel JD, Maldjian JA, Whitlow CT. Cognitive and Salience Network Connectivity Changes following a Single Season of Repetitive Head Impact Exposure in High School Football. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2024; 45:1116-1123. [PMID: 39054293 DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.a8294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE During a season of high school football, adolescents with actively developing brains experience a considerable number of head impacts. Our aim was to determine whether repetitive head impacts in the absence of a clinically diagnosed concussion during a season of high school football produce changes in cognitive performance or functional connectivity of the salience network and its central hub, the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex. MATERIALS AND METHODS Football players were instrumented with the Head Impact Telemetry System during all practices and games, and the helmet sensor data were used to compute a risk-weighted exposure metric (RWEcp), accounting for the cumulative risk during the season. Participants underwent MRI and a cognitive battery (ImPACT) before and shortly after the football season. A control group of noncontact/limited-contact-sport athletes was formed from 2 cohorts: one from the same school and protocol and another from a separate, nearly identical study. RESULTS Sixty-three football players and 34 control athletes were included in the cognitive performance analysis. Preseason, the control group scored significantly higher on the ImPACT Visual Motor (P = .04) and Reaction Time composites (P = .006). These differences increased postseason (P = .003, P < .001, respectively). Additionally, the control group had significantly higher postseason scores on the Visual Memory composite (P = .001). Compared with controls, football players showed significantly less improvement in the Verbal (P = .04) and Visual Memory composites (P = .01). A significantly greater percentage of contact athletes had lower-than-expected scores on the Verbal Memory (27% versus 6%), Visual Motor (21% versus 3%), and Reaction Time composites (24% versus 6%). Among football players, a higher RWEcp was significantly associated with greater increments in ImPACT Reaction Time (P = .03) and Total Symptom Scores postseason (P = .006). Fifty-seven football players and 13 control athletes were included in the imaging analyses. Postseason, football players showed significant decreases in interhemispheric connectivity of the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (P = .026) and within-network connectivity of the salience network (P = .018). These decreases in dorsal anterior cingulate cortex interhemispheric connectivity and within-network connectivity of the salience network were significantly correlated with deteriorating ImPACT Total Symptom (P = .03) and Verbal Memory scores (P = .04). CONCLUSIONS Head impact exposure during a single season of high school football is negatively associated with cognitive performance and brain network connectivity. Future studies should further characterize these short-term effects and examine their relationship with long-term sequelae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad I Kawas
- From the Department of Radiology (M.I.K., K.M.A., W.C.F., C.A.S., R.A.B., M.E.L., J.K., K.K.S.S., C.T.W.), Wake Forest School of Medicine/Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
- Department of Physiology (M.I.K.), Faculty of Medicine, University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan
| | - Kyle M Atcheson
- From the Department of Radiology (M.I.K., K.M.A., W.C.F., C.A.S., R.A.B., M.E.L., J.K., K.K.S.S., C.T.W.), Wake Forest School of Medicine/Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
| | - William C Flood
- From the Department of Radiology (M.I.K., K.M.A., W.C.F., C.A.S., R.A.B., M.E.L., J.K., K.K.S.S., C.T.W.), Wake Forest School of Medicine/Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
| | - Christopher A Sheridan
- From the Department of Radiology (M.I.K., K.M.A., W.C.F., C.A.S., R.A.B., M.E.L., J.K., K.K.S.S., C.T.W.), Wake Forest School of Medicine/Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
| | - Richard A Barcus
- From the Department of Radiology (M.I.K., K.M.A., W.C.F., C.A.S., R.A.B., M.E.L., J.K., K.K.S.S., C.T.W.), Wake Forest School of Medicine/Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
| | - Laura A Flashman
- Department of Neuropsychology (L.A.F.), Wake Forest School of Medicine/Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
| | - Thomas W McAllister
- Department of Psychiatry (T.W.M.), Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana
| | - Megan E Lipford
- From the Department of Radiology (M.I.K., K.M.A., W.C.F., C.A.S., R.A.B., M.E.L., J.K., K.K.S.S., C.T.W.), Wake Forest School of Medicine/Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
| | - Jeongchul Kim
- From the Department of Radiology (M.I.K., K.M.A., W.C.F., C.A.S., R.A.B., M.E.L., J.K., K.K.S.S., C.T.W.), Wake Forest School of Medicine/Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
| | - Jillian E Urban
- Department of Biomedical Engineering (J.E.U., J.D.S.), Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
| | - Elizabeth M Davenport
- Department of Radiology (E.M.D., J.A.M), University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Christopher G Vaughan
- Division of Pediatric Neuropsychology (C.G.V.), Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC
| | - Kiran K Solingapuram Sai
- From the Department of Radiology (M.I.K., K.M.A., W.C.F., C.A.S., R.A.B., M.E.L., J.K., K.K.S.S., C.T.W.), Wake Forest School of Medicine/Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
| | - Joel D Stitzel
- Department of Biomedical Engineering (J.E.U., J.D.S.), Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
| | - Joseph A Maldjian
- Department of Radiology (E.M.D., J.A.M), University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Christopher T Whitlow
- From the Department of Radiology (M.I.K., K.M.A., W.C.F., C.A.S., R.A.B., M.E.L., J.K., K.K.S.S., C.T.W.), Wake Forest School of Medicine/Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
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Beard K, Gauff AK, Pennington AM, Marion DW, Smith J, Sloley S. Biofluid, Imaging, Physiological, and Functional Biomarkers of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury and Subconcussive Head Impacts. J Neurotrauma 2024. [PMID: 38943278 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2024.0136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Post-concussive symptoms are frequently reported by individuals who sustain mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBIs) and subconcussive head impacts, even when evidence of intracranial pathology is lacking. Current strategies used to evaluate head injuries, which primarily rely on self-report, have a limited ability to predict the incidence, severity, and duration of post-concussive symptoms that will develop in an individual patient. In addition, these self-report measures have little association with the underlying mechanisms of pathology that may contribute to persisting symptoms, impeding advancement in precision treatment for TBI. Emerging evidence suggests that biofluid, imaging, physiological, and functional biomarkers associated with mTBI and subconcussive head impacts may address these shortcomings by providing more objective measures of injury severity and underlying pathology. Interest in the use of biomarker data has rapidly accelerated, which is reflected by the recent efforts of organizations such as the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to prioritize the collection of biomarker data during TBI characterization in acute-care settings. Thus, this review aims to describe recent progress in the identification and development of biomarkers of mTBI and subconcussive head impacts and to discuss important considerations for the implementation of these biomarkers in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kryshawna Beard
- General Dynamics Information Technology Fairfax, Falls Church, Virginia, USA
- Traumatic Brain Injury Center of Excellence, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Amina K Gauff
- Traumatic Brain Injury Center of Excellence, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
- Xynergie Federal, LLC, San Juan, United States Minor Outlying Islands
| | - Ashley M Pennington
- Traumatic Brain Injury Center of Excellence, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
- Xynergie Federal, LLC, San Juan, United States Minor Outlying Islands
| | - Donald W Marion
- General Dynamics Information Technology Fairfax, Falls Church, Virginia, USA
- Traumatic Brain Injury Center of Excellence, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Johanna Smith
- Traumatic Brain Injury Center of Excellence, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Stephanie Sloley
- Traumatic Brain Injury Center of Excellence, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
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Garcia-Cordero I, Vasilevskaya A, Taghdiri F, Khodadadi M, Mikulis D, Tarazi A, Mushtaque A, Anssari N, Colella B, Green R, Rogaeva E, Sato C, Grinberg M, Moreno D, Hussain MW, Blennow K, Zetterberg H, Davis KD, Wennberg R, Tator C, Tartaglia MC. Functional connectivity changes in neurodegenerative biomarker-positive athletes with repeated concussions. J Neurol 2024; 271:4180-4190. [PMID: 38589629 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-024-12340-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
Multimodal biomarkers may identify former contact sports athletes with repeated concussions and at risk for dementia. Our study aims to investigate whether biomarker evidence of neurodegeneration in former professional athletes with repetitive concussions (ExPro) is associated with worse cognition and mood/behavior, brain atrophy, and altered functional connectivity. Forty-one contact sports athletes with repeated concussions were divided into neurodegenerative biomarker-positive (n = 16) and biomarker-negative (n = 25) groups based on positivity of serum neurofilament light-chain. Six healthy controls (negative for biomarkers) with no history of concussions were also analyzed. We calculated cognitive and mood/behavior composite scores from neuropsychological assessments. Gray matter volume maps and functional connectivity of the default mode, salience, and frontoparietal networks were compared between groups using ANCOVAs, controlling for age, and total intracranial volume. The association between the connectivity networks and sports characteristics was analyzed by multiple regression analysis in all ExPro. Participants presented normal-range mean performance in executive function, memory, and mood/behavior tests. The ExPro groups did not differ in professional years played, age at first participation in contact sports, and number of concussions. There were no differences in gray matter volume between groups. The neurodegenerative biomarker-positive group had lower connectivity in the default mode network (DMN) compared to the healthy controls and the neurodegenerative biomarker-negative group. DMN disconnection was associated with increased number of concussions in all ExPro. Biomarkers of neurodegeneration may be useful to detect athletes that are still cognitively normal, but with functional connectivity alterations after concussions and at risk of dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Indira Garcia-Cordero
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Canadian Concussion Centre, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
| | - Anna Vasilevskaya
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Foad Taghdiri
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Mozhgan Khodadadi
- Canadian Concussion Centre, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
| | - David Mikulis
- Canadian Concussion Centre, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
| | - Apameh Tarazi
- Canadian Concussion Centre, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
| | - Asma Mushtaque
- Canadian Concussion Centre, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
| | - Neda Anssari
- Canadian Concussion Centre, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
- Brain Vision and Concussion Clinic, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Brenda Colella
- Canadian Concussion Centre, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
| | - Robin Green
- Canadian Concussion Centre, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
| | - Ekaterina Rogaeva
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Christine Sato
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Mark Grinberg
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Danielle Moreno
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Mohammed W Hussain
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Kaj Blennow
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden
| | - Henrik Zetterberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, London, UK
- Hong Kong Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
| | - Karen D Davis
- Canadian Concussion Centre, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
- Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Richard Wennberg
- Canadian Concussion Centre, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
| | - Charles Tator
- Canadian Concussion Centre, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
| | - Maria C Tartaglia
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
- Canadian Concussion Centre, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada.
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Patel M, Ramamurthi A, Jones K, North P, Lin KYK. Rare Congenital Upper Lip Pit. J Craniofac Surg 2024:00001665-990000000-01706. [PMID: 38861357 DOI: 10.1097/scs.0000000000010403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Congenital lip pits are characterized by sinuses or fistulas in the lips that can occur in isolation or as part of a genetic disorder. A 6-year-old girl with a right upper lip lesion present at birth presented with recurrent swelling and occasional erythema. Examination revealed a mildly swollen punctum at the right upper wet/dry vermillion with expressible serous drainage. There were no other phenotypic or cognitive concerns. The lesion was surgically excised using vertical wedge resection. The postoperative course showed well well-healed incision. The pathology report confirmed a lip pit. The family was referred to genetics for further evaluation. Van der Woude syndrome (VWS) is a genetic disorder associated with abnormal development of the paramedian lip. Most congenital lip pits are primarily found on the lower lips, with paramedian lip pits being the most common. Upper lateral lip pits with or without accompanying lip pits are considerably rarer. Though VWS is commonly associated with mutations in the interferon regulatory factor 6 or grainyhead-like protein 3 genes, ~25% of affected individuals lack an identified genetic etiology. A high index of suspicion for VWS is warranted if lip pits are present in the absence of other phenotypic abnormalities and should prompt genetic testing for interferon regulatory factor 6 and grainyhead-like protein 3 mutations. Multidisciplinary teams should consider patient self-esteem, quality of life, and potential family planning when deciding on surgical intervention for lip pits. Surgical management of pits should entail tissue-preserving techniques such as vertical wedge resection and inverted T-lip reduction to prevent whistle-lip deformity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milan Patel
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
| | - Aishu Ramamurthi
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
| | - Kelly Jones
- Division of Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin
| | - Paula North
- Department of Pathology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
| | - Kant Y K Lin
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
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McPherson AL, Anderson T, Finnoff JT, Adams WM. Head Kinematics and Injury Analysis in Elite Bobsleigh Athletes Throughout a World Cup Tour. J Athl Train 2024; 59:584-593. [PMID: 37648215 PMCID: PMC11220765 DOI: 10.4085/1062-6050-0014.23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
CONTEXT The neurocognitive health effects of repetitive head impacts have been examined in many sports. However, characterizations of head impacts for sliding-sport athletes are lacking. OBJECTIVE To describe head impact kinematics and injury epidemiology in elite athletes during the 2021-2022 Bobsleigh World Cup season. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. SETTING On-track training and competitions during the Bobsleigh World Cup season. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS Twelve elite bobsleigh athletes (3 pilots [1 female], 9 push athletes [5 females]; age = 30 ± 5 years; female height and weight = 173 ± 8 cm and 75 ± 5 kg, respectively; male height and weight = 183 ± 5 cm and 101 ± 5 kg, respectively). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Athletes wore an accelerometer-enabled mouthguard to quantify 6-degrees-of-freedom head impact kinematics. Isometric absolute and relative neck strength, number of head acceleration events (HAEs), workload (J), peak linear velocity (m·s-1), peak angular velocity (rad·s-1), peak linear acceleration (g), and peak angular acceleration (rad·s-2) were derived from mouthguard manufacturer algorithms. Linear mixed-effect models tested the effects of sex (male versus female), setting (training versus competition), and position (pilot versus push athlete) on the kinematic variables. RESULTS A total of 1900 HAEs were recorded over 48 training and 53 competition days. No differences were found between the number of HAEs per run per athlete by sex (incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 0.82, P = .741), setting (IRR = 0.94, P = .325), or position (IRR = 1.64, P = .463). No sex differences were observed for workload (mean ± SD: males = 3.3 ± 2.2 J, females = 3.1 ± 1.9 J; P = .646), peak linear velocity (males = 1.1 ± 0.3 m·s-1, females = 1.1 ± 0.3 m·s-1; P = .706), peak angular velocity (males = 4.2 ± 2.1 rad·s-1, females = 4.7 ± 2.5 rad·s-1; P = .220), peak linear acceleration (male = 12.4 ± 3.9g, females = 11.9 ± 3.5g; P = .772), or peak angular acceleration (males = 610 ± 353 rad·s-2, females = 680 ± 423 rad·s-2; P = .547). Also, no effects of setting or position on any kinematic variables were seen. Male athletes had greater peak neck strength than female athletes for all neck movements, aside from right-side flexion (P = .085), but no sex differences were noted in relative neck strength. CONCLUSIONS We provide a foundational understanding of the repetitive HAEs that occur in bobsleigh athletes. Future authors should determine the effects of repetitive head impacts on neurocognitive function and mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- April L. McPherson
- Department of Sports Medicine, United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, Colorado Springs
- United States Coalition for the Prevention of Illness and Injury in Sport, Colorado Springs
| | - Travis Anderson
- Department of Sports Medicine, United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, Colorado Springs
- United States Coalition for the Prevention of Illness and Injury in Sport, Colorado Springs
| | - Jonathan T. Finnoff
- Department of Sports Medicine, United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, Colorado Springs
- United States Coalition for the Prevention of Illness and Injury in Sport, Colorado Springs
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver
| | - William M. Adams
- Department of Sports Medicine, United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, Colorado Springs
- United States Coalition for the Prevention of Illness and Injury in Sport, Colorado Springs
- Department of Kinesiology, University of North Carolina-Greensboro
- School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, National Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine (NCSEM), UK
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Brooks JS, Dickey JP. Effect of Repetitive Head Impacts on Saccade Performance in Canadian University Football Players. Clin J Sport Med 2024; 34:280-287. [PMID: 38150378 PMCID: PMC11042529 DOI: 10.1097/jsm.0000000000001202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Investigate the effect of cumulative head impacts on saccade latency and errors, measured across two successive football seasons. DESIGN Participants were acquired from a sample of convenience-one Canadian university football team. Head impacts were collected during training camp, practices, eight regular season games, and four playoff games in each season. Saccade measurements were collected at five time points-before and after training camp, at midseason, after regular season, and after playoffs. SETTING Two seasons following players from a single USports football team during practices and games. PARTICIPANTS Players who completed a baseline saccade measurement and a minimum of one follow-up measurement were included in the study. A total of 127 players were monitored across two competitive seasons, including 61 players who participated in both seasons. INDEPENDENT VARIABLES Head impact measurements were collected using helmet-mounted sensors. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Saccade latency and number of errors were measured using high-speed video or electro-oculography. RESULTS On average, each head impact increased prosaccade latency by 5.16 × 10 -3 ms (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.26 × 10 -4 -1.00 × 10 -2 , P = 0.03) and antisaccade latency by 5.74 × 10 -3 ms (95% CI, 7.18 × 10 -4 -1.06 × 10 -2 , P = 0.02). These latency increases did not decrease between the two seasons; in fact, prosaccade latencies were 23.20 ms longer (95% CI, 19.40-27.14, P < 0.001) at the second season's baseline measurement than the first. The number of saccade errors was not affected by cumulative head impacts. CONCLUSIONS Repetitive head impacts in Canadian university football result in cumulative declines in brain function as measured by saccade performance. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Football organizations should consider implementing policies focused on reducing head impacts to improve player safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey S. Brooks
- School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Western University, London, ON, Canada
- Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Western University, London, ON, Canada; and
| | - James P. Dickey
- School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Western University, London, ON, Canada
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Western University, London, ON, Canada
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Koza LA, Grossberg AN, Bishop M, Prusmack C, Linseman DA. Sex-specific antioxidant biomarker depletion in patients with a history of mild traumatic brain injury. ADVANCES IN REDOX RESEARCH 2024; 10:100097. [PMID: 38562523 PMCID: PMC10976465 DOI: 10.1016/j.arres.2024.100097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Individuals with a history of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) are at an increased risk for neurodegenerative disease, suggesting that intrinsic neuroprotective mechanisms, such as the endogenous antioxidant reservoir, may be depleted long-term after mTBI. Here, we retrospectively analyzed symptoms and blood antioxidants in patients with a history of mTBI who presented to Resilience Code, a sports medicine clinic in Colorado. Significant decreases in alpha-tocopherol, selenium, linoleic acid, taurine, docosahexaenoic acid, and total omega-3 were measured in the total mTBI population versus controls. Male mTBI patients showed depletion of a larger array of antioxidants than females. Patients with a history of mTBI also reported significantly worsened emotional, energy, head, and cognitive symptoms, with males displaying more extensive symptomology. Multiple or chronic mTBI patients had worsened symptoms than single or acute/subchronic mTBI patients, respectively. Finally, male mTBI patients with the largest reductions in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) displayed worse symptomology than male mTBI patients with less depletion of this antioxidant reservoir. These results demonstrate that antioxidant depletion persists in patients with a history of mTBI and these deficits are sex-specific and associated with worsened symptomology. Furthermore, supplementation with specific antioxidants, like PUFAs, may diminish symptom severity in patients suffering from chronic effects of mTBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilia A. Koza
- Department of Biological Sciences and Knoebel Institute for Healthy Aging, University of Denver, Denver, CO 80208, United States
| | - Allison N. Grossberg
- Department of Biological Sciences and Knoebel Institute for Healthy Aging, University of Denver, Denver, CO 80208, United States
| | - McKensey Bishop
- Department of Biological Sciences and Knoebel Institute for Healthy Aging, University of Denver, Denver, CO 80208, United States
| | | | - Daniel A. Linseman
- Department of Biological Sciences and Knoebel Institute for Healthy Aging, University of Denver, Denver, CO 80208, United States
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Zuleger TM, Slutsky-Ganesh AB, Grooms DR, Yuan W, Barber Foss KD, Howell DR, Myer GD, Diekfuss JA. High magnitude exposure to repetitive head impacts alters female adolescent brain activity for lower extremity motor control. Brain Res 2024; 1828:148785. [PMID: 38272157 PMCID: PMC11110884 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2024.148785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 01/14/2024] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
Contact and collision sport participation among adolescent athletes has raised concerns about the potential negative effects of cumulative repetitive head impacts (RHIs) on brain function. Impairments from RHIs and sports-related concussions (SRC) may propagate into lingering neuromuscular control. However, the neural mechanisms that link RHIs to altered motor control processes remain unknown. The purpose of this study was to isolate changes in neural activity for a lower extremity motor control task associated with the frequency and magnitude of RHI exposure. A cohort of fifteen high school female soccer players participated in a prospective longitudinal study and underwent pre- and post-season functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). During fMRI, athletes completed simultaneous bilateral ankle, knee, and hip flexion/extension movements against resistance (bilateral leg press) to characterize neural activity associated with lower extremity motor control. RHI data were binned into continuous categories between 20 g - 120 g (defined by progressively greater intervals), with the number of impacts independently modeled within the fMRI analyses. Results revealed that differential exposure to high magnitude RHIs (≥90 g - < 110 g and ≥ 110 g) was associated with acute changes in neural activity for the bilateral leg press (broadly inclusive of motor, visual, and cognitive regions; all p < 0.05 & z > 3.1). Greater exposure to high magnitude RHIs may impair lower extremity motor control through maladaptive neural mechanisms. Future work is warranted to extend these mechanistic findings and examine the linkages between RHI exposure and neural activity as it relates to subsequent neuromuscular control deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor M Zuleger
- Emory Sports Performance And Research Center (SPARC), Flowery Branch, GA, USA; Emory Sports Medicine Center, Atlanta, GA, USA; Department of Orthopaedics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA; University of Cincinnati, Neuroscience Graduate Program, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
| | - Alexis B Slutsky-Ganesh
- Emory Sports Performance And Research Center (SPARC), Flowery Branch, GA, USA; Emory Sports Medicine Center, Atlanta, GA, USA; Department of Orthopaedics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA; Department of Kinesiology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, USA
| | - Dustin R Grooms
- Ohio Musculoskeletal & Neurological Institute, Ohio University, Athens, OH, USA; Division of Athletic Training, School of Applied Health Sciences and Wellness, College of Health Sciences and Professions, Ohio University, Athens, OH, USA; Division of Physical Therapy, School of Rehabilitation and Communication Sciences, College of Health Science and Professions, Ohio University, Grover Center, Athens, OH, USA
| | - Weihong Yuan
- Pediatric Neuroimaging Research Consortium, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA; College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Kim D Barber Foss
- Emory Sports Performance And Research Center (SPARC), Flowery Branch, GA, USA; Emory Sports Medicine Center, Atlanta, GA, USA; Department of Orthopaedics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - David R Howell
- Sports Medicine Center, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO, USA; Department of Orthopaedics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Gregory D Myer
- Emory Sports Performance And Research Center (SPARC), Flowery Branch, GA, USA; Emory Sports Medicine Center, Atlanta, GA, USA; Department of Orthopaedics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA; Youth Physical Development Centre, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Wales, UK; The Micheli Center for Sports Injury Prevention, Waltham, MA, USA
| | - Jed A Diekfuss
- Emory Sports Performance And Research Center (SPARC), Flowery Branch, GA, USA; Emory Sports Medicine Center, Atlanta, GA, USA; Department of Orthopaedics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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9
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Caeyenberghs K, Imms P, Irimia A, Monti MM, Esopenko C, de Souza NL, Dominguez D JF, Newsome MR, Dobryakova E, Cwiek A, Mullin HAC, Kim NJ, Mayer AR, Adamson MM, Bickart K, Breedlove KM, Dennis EL, Disner SG, Haswell C, Hodges CB, Hoskinson KR, Johnson PK, Königs M, Li LM, Liebel SW, Livny A, Morey RA, Muir AM, Olsen A, Razi A, Su M, Tate DF, Velez C, Wilde EA, Zielinski BA, Thompson PM, Hillary FG. ENIGMA's simple seven: Recommendations to enhance the reproducibility of resting-state fMRI in traumatic brain injury. Neuroimage Clin 2024; 42:103585. [PMID: 38531165 PMCID: PMC10982609 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2024.103585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
Resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) provides researchers and clinicians with a powerful tool to examine functional connectivity across large-scale brain networks, with ever-increasing applications to the study of neurological disorders, such as traumatic brain injury (TBI). While rsfMRI holds unparalleled promise in systems neurosciences, its acquisition and analytical methodology across research groups is variable, resulting in a literature that is challenging to integrate and interpret. The focus of this narrative review is to address the primary methodological issues including investigator decision points in the application of rsfMRI to study the consequences of TBI. As part of the ENIGMA Brain Injury working group, we have collaborated to identify a minimum set of recommendations that are designed to produce results that are reliable, harmonizable, and reproducible for the TBI imaging research community. Part one of this review provides the results of a literature search of current rsfMRI studies of TBI, highlighting key design considerations and data processing pipelines. Part two outlines seven data acquisition, processing, and analysis recommendations with the goal of maximizing study reliability and between-site comparability, while preserving investigator autonomy. Part three summarizes new directions and opportunities for future rsfMRI studies in TBI patients. The goal is to galvanize the TBI community to gain consensus for a set of rigorous and reproducible methods, and to increase analytical transparency and data sharing to address the reproducibility crisis in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Caeyenberghs
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia.
| | - Phoebe Imms
- Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center, Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Andrei Irimia
- Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center, Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering, Andrew & Erna Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Quantitative & Computational Biology, Dana and David Dornsife College of Arts & Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Martin M Monti
- Department of Psychology, UCLA, USA; Brain Injury Research Center (BIRC), Department of Neurosurgery, UCLA, USA.
| | - Carrie Esopenko
- Department of Rehabilitation and Human Performance, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY, USA.
| | - Nicola L de Souza
- Department of Rehabilitation and Human Performance, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY, USA.
| | - Juan F Dominguez D
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia.
| | - Mary R Newsome
- Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, TX, USA; H. Ben Taub Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; TBI and Concussion Center, Department of Neurology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
| | - Ekaterina Dobryakova
- Center for Traumatic Brain Injury, Kessler Foundation, East Hanover, NJ, USA; Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA.
| | - Andrew Cwiek
- Department of Psychology, Penn State University, State College, PA, USA.
| | - Hollie A C Mullin
- Department of Psychology, Penn State University, State College, PA, USA.
| | - Nicholas J Kim
- Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center, Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering, Andrew & Erna Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Andrew R Mayer
- Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM, USA; Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
| | - Maheen M Adamson
- Women's Operational Military Exposure Network (WOMEN) & Rehabilitation Department, VA Palo Alto, Palo Alto, CA, USA; Rehabilitation Service, VA Palo Alto, Palo Alto, CA, USA; Neurosurgery, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Kevin Bickart
- UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program, USA; Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, USA.
| | - Katherine M Breedlove
- Center for Clinical Spectroscopy, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Emily L Dennis
- TBI and Concussion Center, Department of Neurology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA; George E. Wahlen Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
| | - Seth G Disner
- Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
| | - Courtney Haswell
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
| | - Cooper B Hodges
- TBI and Concussion Center, Department of Neurology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA; George E. Wahlen Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA.
| | - Kristen R Hoskinson
- Center for Biobehavioral Health, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA; Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, OH, USA.
| | - Paula K Johnson
- TBI and Concussion Center, Department of Neurology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Neuroscience Center, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA.
| | - Marsh Königs
- Emma Children's Hospital, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Emma Neuroscience Group, The Netherlands; Amsterdam Reproduction and Development, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Lucia M Li
- C3NL, Imperial College London, United Kingdom; UK DRI Centre for Health Care and Technology, Imperial College London, United Kingdom.
| | - Spencer W Liebel
- TBI and Concussion Center, Department of Neurology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA; George E. Wahlen Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
| | - Abigail Livny
- Division of Diagnostic Imaging, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel; Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
| | - Rajendra A Morey
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Duke-UNC Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; VA Mid-Atlantic Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
| | - Alexandra M Muir
- Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA.
| | - Alexander Olsen
- Department of Psychology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway; Clinic of Rehabilitation, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway; NorHEAD - Norwegian Centre for Headache Research, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
| | - Adeel Razi
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia; Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, WC1N 3AR London, United Kingdom; CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholars Program, CIFAR, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | - Matthew Su
- H. Ben Taub Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - David F Tate
- TBI and Concussion Center, Department of Neurology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA; George E. Wahlen Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
| | - Carmen Velez
- TBI and Concussion Center, Department of Neurology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA; George E. Wahlen Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
| | - Elisabeth A Wilde
- H. Ben Taub Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; TBI and Concussion Center, Department of Neurology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA; George E. Wahlen Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
| | - Brandon A Zielinski
- Departments of Pediatrics, Neurology, and Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Departments of Pediatrics, Neurology, and Radiology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
| | - Paul M Thompson
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging & Informatics Institute, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, CA, USA.
| | - Frank G Hillary
- Department of Psychology, Penn State University, State College, PA, USA; Department of Neurology, Hershey Medical Center, PA, USA.
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10
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Onicas AI, Deighton S, Yeates KO, Bray S, Graff K, Abdeen N, Beauchamp MH, Beaulieu C, Bjornson B, Craig W, Dehaes M, Deschenes S, Doan Q, Freedman SB, Goodyear BG, Gravel J, Lebel C, Ledoux AA, Zemek R, Ware AL. Longitudinal Functional Connectome in Pediatric Concussion: An Advancing Concussion Assessment in Pediatrics Study. J Neurotrauma 2024; 41:587-603. [PMID: 37489293 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2023.0183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques indicate that concussion (i.e., mild traumatic brain injury) disrupts brain structure and function in children. However, the functional connectivity of brain regions within global and local networks (i.e., functional connectome) is poorly understood in pediatric concussion. This prospective, longitudinal study addressed this gap using data from the largest neuroimaging study of pediatric concussion to date to study the functional connectome longitudinally after concussion as compared with mild orthopedic injury (OI). Children and adolescents (n = 967) 8-16.99 years with concussion or mild OI were recruited from pediatric emergency departments within 48 h post-injury. Pre-injury and 1-month post-injury symptom ratings were used to classify concussion with or without persistent symptoms based on reliable change. Subjects completed a post-acute (2-33 days) and chronic (3 or 6 months via random assignment) MRI scan. Graph theory metrics were derived from 918 resting-state functional MRI scans in 585 children (386 concussion/199 OI). Linear mixed-effects modeling was performed to assess group differences over time, correcting for multiple comparisons. Relative to OI, the global clustering coefficient was reduced at 3 months post-injury in older children with concussion and in females with concussion and persistent symptoms. Time post-injury and sex moderated group differences in local (regional) network metrics of several brain regions, including degree centrality, efficiency, and clustering coefficient of the angular gyrus, calcarine fissure, cuneus, and inferior occipital, lingual, middle occipital, post-central, and superior occipital gyrus. Relative to OI, degree centrality and nodal efficiency were reduced post-acutely, and nodal efficiency and clustering coefficient were reduced chronically after concussion (i.e., at 3 and 6 months post-injury in females; at 6 months post-injury in males). Functional network alterations were more robust and widespread chronically as opposed to post-acutely after concussion, and varied by sex, age, and symptom recovery at 1-month post-injury. Local network segregation reductions emerged globally (across the whole brain network) in older children and in females with poor recovery chronically after concussion. Reduced functioning between neighboring regions could negatively disrupt specialized information processing. Local network metric alterations were demonstrated in several posterior regions that are involved in vision and attention after concussion relative to OI. This indicates that functioning of superior parietal and occipital regions could be particularly susceptibile to the effects of concussion. Moreover, those regional alterations were especially apparent at later time periods post-injury, emerging after post-concussive symptoms resolved in most and persisted up to 6 months post-injury, and differed by biological sex. This indicates that neurobiological changes continue to occur up to 6 months after pediatric concussion, although changes emerge earlier in females than in males. Changes could reflect neural compensation mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian I Onicas
- MoMiLab, IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, Lucca, LU, Italy
- Computer Vision Group, Sano Centre for Computational Medicine, Kraków, Poland. Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Stephanie Deighton
- Department of Psychology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Keith Owen Yeates
- Department of Psychology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Signe Bray
- Department of Radiology, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, and Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Kirk Graff
- Department of Radiology, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, and Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Nishard Abdeen
- Department of Radiology, University of Ottawa, and Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Miriam H Beauchamp
- Department of Psychology, University of Montreal and CHU Sainte-Justine Hospital Research Center, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Christian Beaulieu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Bruce Bjornson
- Division of Neurology, University of British Columbia, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - William Craig
- University of Alberta and Stollery Children's Hospital, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Mathieu Dehaes
- Department of Radiology, Radio-oncology and Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Montreal and CHU Sainte-Justine Hospital Research Center, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Sylvain Deschenes
- Department of Radiology, Radio-oncology and Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Montreal and CHU Sainte-Justine Hospital Research Center, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Quynh Doan
- Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Stephen B Freedman
- Departments of Pediatric and Emergency Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Bradley G Goodyear
- Department of Radiology, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, and Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jocelyn Gravel
- Department of Department of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, University of Montreal and CHU Sainte-Justine Hospital Research Center, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Catherine Lebel
- Department of Radiology, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, and Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Andrée-Anne Ledoux
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, and Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Roger Zemek
- Department of Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine, University of Ottawa, and Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ashley L Ware
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, and Department of Neurology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
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11
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Zuidema TR, Hou J, Kercher KA, Recht GO, Sweeney SH, Chenchaiah N, Cheng H, Steinfeldt JA, Kawata K. Cerebral Cortical Surface Structure and Neural Activation Pattern Among Adolescent Football Players. JAMA Netw Open 2024; 7:e2354235. [PMID: 38300622 PMCID: PMC10835513 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.54235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Importance Recurring exposure to head impacts in American football has garnered public and scientific attention, yet neurobiological associations in adolescent football players remain unclear. Objective To examine cortical structure and neurophysiological characteristics in adolescent football players. Design, Setting, and Participants This cohort study included adolescent football players and control athletes (swimming, cross country, and tennis) from 5 high school athletic programs, who were matched with age, sex (male), and school. Neuroimaging assessments were conducted May to July of the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Data were analyzed from February to November 2023. Exposure Playing tackle football or noncontact sports. Main Outcomes and Measures Structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data were analyzed for cortical thickness, sulcal depth, and gyrification, and cortical surface-based resting state (RS)-functional MRI analyses examined the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF), regional homogeneity (ReHo), and RS-functional connectivity (RS-FC). Results Two-hundred seventy-five male participants (205 football players; mean [SD] age, 15.8 [1.2] years; 5 Asian [2.4%], 8 Black or African American [3.9%], and 189 White [92.2%]; 70 control participants; mean [SD] age 15.8 [1.2] years, 4 Asian [5.7], 1 Black or African American [1.4%], and 64 White [91.5%]) were included in this study. Relative to the control group, the football group showed significant cortical thinning, especially in fronto-occipital regions (eg, right precentral gyrus: t = -2.24; P = .01; left superior frontal gyrus: -2.42; P = .002). Elevated cortical thickness in football players was observed in the anterior and posterior cingulate cortex (eg, left posterior cingulate cortex: t = 2.28; P = .01; right caudal anterior cingulate cortex 3.01; P = .001). The football group had greater and deeper sulcal depth than the control groups in the cingulate cortex, precuneus, and precentral gyrus (eg, right inferior parietal lobule: t = 2.20; P = .004; right caudal anterior cingulate cortex: 4.30; P < .001). Significantly lower ALFF was detected in the frontal lobe and cingulate cortex of the football group (t = -3.66 to -4.92; P < .01), whereas elevated ALFF was observed in the occipital regions (calcarine and lingual gyrus, t = 3.20; P < .01). Similar to ALFF, football players exhibited lower ReHo in the precentral gyrus and medial aspects of the brain, such as precuneus, insula, and cingulum, whereas elevated ReHo was clustered in the occipitotemporal regions (t = 3.17; P < .001; to 4.32; P < .01). There was no group difference in RS-FC measures. Conclusions and Relevance In this study of adolescent athletes, there was evidence of discernible structural and physiological differences in the brains of adolescent football players compared with their noncontact controls. Many of the affected brain regions were associated with mental health well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor R. Zuidema
- Department of Kinesiology, Indiana University School of Public Health, Bloomington
- Program in Neuroscience, The College of Arts and Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington
| | - Jiancheng Hou
- Department of Kinesiology, Indiana University School of Public Health, Bloomington
- Research Center for Cross-Straits Cultural Development, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Kyle A. Kercher
- Department of Kinesiology, Indiana University School of Public Health, Bloomington
| | - Grace O. Recht
- Department of Kinesiology, Indiana University School of Public Health, Bloomington
| | - Sage H. Sweeney
- Department of Kinesiology, Indiana University School of Public Health, Bloomington
| | - Nishant Chenchaiah
- Department of Kinesiology, Indiana University School of Public Health, Bloomington
| | - Hu Cheng
- Program in Neuroscience, The College of Arts and Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington
| | - Jesse A. Steinfeldt
- Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology, School of Education, Indiana University, Bloomington
| | - Keisuke Kawata
- Department of Kinesiology, Indiana University School of Public Health, Bloomington
- Program in Neuroscience, The College of Arts and Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington
- Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis
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12
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Fitzgerald B, Bari S, Vike N, Lee TA, Lycke RJ, Auger JD, Leverenz LJ, Nauman E, Goñi J, Talavage TM. Longitudinal changes in resting state fMRI brain self-similarity of asymptomatic high school American football athletes. Sci Rep 2024; 14:1747. [PMID: 38243048 PMCID: PMC10799081 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-51688-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024] Open
Abstract
American football has become the focus of numerous studies highlighting a growing concern that cumulative exposure to repetitive, sports-related head acceleration events (HAEs) may have negative consequences for brain health, even in the absence of a diagnosed concussion. In this longitudinal study, brain functional connectivity was analyzed in a cohort of high school American football athletes over a single play season and compared against participants in non-collision high school sports. Football athletes underwent four resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging sessions: once before (pre-season), twice during (in-season), and once 34-80 days after the contact activities play season ended (post-season). For each imaging session, functional connectomes (FCs) were computed for each athlete and compared across sessions using a metric reflecting the (self) similarity between two FCs. HAEs were monitored during all practices and games throughout the season using head-mounted sensors. Relative to the pre-season scan session, football athletes exhibited decreased FC self-similarity at the later in-season session, with apparent recovery of self-similarity by the time of the post-season session. In addition, both within and post-season self-similarity was correlated with cumulative exposure to head acceleration events. These results suggest that repetitive exposure to HAEs produces alterations in functional brain connectivity and highlight the necessity of collision-free recovery periods for football athletes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradley Fitzgerald
- Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
| | - Sumra Bari
- Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
- Department of Computer Science, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Nicole Vike
- Department of Computer Science, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Taylor A Lee
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Roy J Lycke
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Joshua D Auger
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Larry J Leverenz
- Department of Health and Kinesiology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Eric Nauman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Joaquín Goñi
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
- School of Industrial Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
- Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Thomas M Talavage
- Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
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13
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Brett BL, Cohen AD, McCrea MA, Wang Y. Longitudinal alterations in cerebral perfusion following a season of adolescent contact sport participation compared to non-contact athletes. Neuroimage Clin 2023; 40:103538. [PMID: 37956583 PMCID: PMC10666028 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2023.103538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cerebral blood flow (CBF) change, a non-invasive marker of head injury, has yet to be thoroughly investigated as a potential consequence of repetitive head impacts (RHI) via contact sport participation in youth athletes. We examined pre-to post-season differences in relative CBF (rCBF), arterial transit time (ATT), and neurocognition between adolescent contact sport (CS; 79.4% of which were football players) and non-contact sport (NCS) athletes. METHODS Adolescent athletes (N = 57; age = 14.70 ± 1.97) completed pre- and post-season clinical assessments and neuroimaging. Brain perfusion was evaluated using an advanced 3D pseudo-continuous ASL sequence with Hadamard encoded multiple post-labeling delays. Mixed-effect models tested group-by-time interactions for rCBF, ATT, and neurocognition. RESULTS A significant group-by-time interaction was observed for rCBF in a cluster consisting primarily of frontal and parietal lobe regions, with regional rCBF increasing in CS and decreasing among NCS athletes. No significant interaction was observed for ATT. A significant group-by-time interaction was observed for verbal memory and visual motor speed, with NCS athletes improving and CS athletes exhibiting lower performance from pre-to post-season in comparison. CONCLUSIONS Alterations in rCBF and variability in cognition, not purported neurovasculature changes (measured by ATT), were observed following one season of CS participation. Further study surrounding the clinical meaningfulness of these findings, as they related to adverse long-term outcomes, is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin L Brett
- Medical College of Wisconsin, Department of Neurosurgery, United States.
| | - Alex D Cohen
- Medical College of Wisconsin, Department of Radiology, United States
| | - Michael A McCrea
- Medical College of Wisconsin, Department of Neurosurgery, United States
| | - Yang Wang
- Medical College of Wisconsin, Department of Radiology, United States.
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14
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Smith JL, Diekfuss JA, Dudley JA, Ahluwalia V, Zuleger TM, Slutsky-Ganesh AB, Yuan W, Foss KDB, Gore RK, Myer GD, Allen JW. Visuo-vestibular and cognitive connections of the vestibular neuromatrix are conserved across age and injury populations. J Neuroimaging 2023; 33:1003-1014. [PMID: 37303280 DOI: 10.1111/jon.13136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Given the prevalence of vestibular dysfunction in pediatric concussion, there is a need to better understand pathophysiological disruptions within vestibular and associated cognitive, affective, and sensory-integrative networks. Although current research leverages established intrinsic connectivity networks, these are nonspecific for vestibular function, suggesting that a pathologically guided approach is warranted. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the generalizability of the previously identified "vestibular neuromatrix" in adults with and without postconcussive vestibular dysfunction to young athletes aged 14-17. METHODS This retrospective study leveraged resting-state functional MRI data from two sites. Site A included adults with diagnosed postconcussive vestibular impairment and healthy adult controls and Site B consisted of young athletes with preseason, postconcussion, and postseason time points (prospective longitudinal data). Adjacency matrices were generated from preprocessed resting-state data from each sample and assessed for overlap and network structure in MATLAB. RESULTS Analyses indicated the presence of a conserved "core" network of vestibular regions as well as areas subserving visual, spatial, and attentional processing. Other vestibular connections were also conserved across samples but were not linked to the "core" subnetwork by regions of interest included in this study. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that connections between central vestibular, visuospatial, and known intrinsic connectivity networks are conserved across adult and pediatric participants with and without concussion, evincing the significance of this expanded, vestibular-associated network. Our findings thus support this network as a workable model for investigation in future studies of dysfunction in young athlete populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy L Smith
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Jed A Diekfuss
- Emory Sports Performance and Research Center (SPARC), Flowery Branch, Georgia, USA
- Emory Sports Medicine Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Department of Orthopaedics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Jonathan A Dudley
- Pediatric Neuroimaging Research Consortium, Division of Radiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Vishwadeep Ahluwalia
- Georgia State University/Georgia Tech Center for Advanced Brain Imaging (CABI), Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Taylor M Zuleger
- Emory Sports Performance and Research Center (SPARC), Flowery Branch, Georgia, USA
- Emory Sports Medicine Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Department of Orthopaedics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Alexis B Slutsky-Ganesh
- Emory Sports Performance and Research Center (SPARC), Flowery Branch, Georgia, USA
- Department of Orthopaedics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Weihong Yuan
- Pediatric Neuroimaging Research Consortium, Division of Radiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
- Department of Radiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Kim D Barber Foss
- Emory Sports Performance and Research Center (SPARC), Flowery Branch, Georgia, USA
| | - Russell K Gore
- Mild TBI Brain Health and Recovery Lab, Shepherd Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Gregory D Myer
- Emory Sports Performance and Research Center (SPARC), Flowery Branch, Georgia, USA
- Emory Sports Medicine Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Department of Orthopaedics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Youth Physical Development Centre, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Wales, UK
| | - Jason W Allen
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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15
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Abdul Baki S, Zakeri Z, Chari G, Fenton A, Omurtag A. Relaxed Alert Electroencephalography Screening for Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in Athletes. Int J Sports Med 2023; 44:896-905. [PMID: 37164326 DOI: 10.1055/a-2091-4860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Due to the mildness of initial injury, many athletes with recurrent mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) are misdiagnosed with other neuropsychiatric illnesses. This study was designed as a proof-of-principle feasibility trial for athletic trainers at a sports facility to generate electroencephalograms (EEGs) from student athletes for discriminating (mTBI) associated EEGs from uninjured ones. A total of 47 EEGs were generated, with 30 athletes recruited at baseline (BL) pre-season, after a concussive injury (IN), and post-season (PS). Outcomes included: 1) visual analyses of EEGs by a neurologist; 2) support vector machine (SVM) classification for inferences about whether particular groups belonged to the three subgroups of BL, IN, or PS; and 3) analyses of EEG synchronies including phase locking value (PLV) computed between pairs of distinct electrodes. All EEGs were visually interpreted as normal. SVM classification showed that BL and IN could be discriminated with 81% accuracy using features of EEG synchronies combined. Frontal inter-hemispheric phase synchronization measured by PLV was significantly lower in the IN group. It is feasible for athletic trainers to record high quality EEGs from student athletes. Also, spatially localized metrics of EEG synchrony can discriminate mTBI associated EEGs from control EEGs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samah Abdul Baki
- Clinical BioSignal Group Corp., Acton, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Zohreh Zakeri
- Department of Engineering, Nottingham Trent University School of Science and Technology, Nottingham, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - Geetha Chari
- Pediatric Neurology, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, New York City, United States
| | - André Fenton
- Center for Neural Science, NYU, New York, United States
| | - Ahmet Omurtag
- Department of Engineering, Nottingham Trent University School of Science and Technology, Nottingham, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
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16
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Sattari S, Kenny R, Liu CC, Hajra SG, Dumont GA, Virji-Babul N. Blink-related EEG oscillations are neurophysiological indicators of subconcussive head impacts in female soccer players: a preliminary study. Front Hum Neurosci 2023; 17:1208498. [PMID: 37538402 PMCID: PMC10394644 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.1208498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Repetitive subconcussive head impacts can lead to subtle neural changes and functional consequences on brain health. However, the objective assessment of these changes remains limited. Resting state blink-related oscillations (BROs), recently discovered neurological responses following spontaneous blinking, are explored in this study to evaluate changes in BRO responses in subconcussive head impacts. Methods We collected 5-min resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) data from two cohorts of collegiate athletes who were engaged in contact sports (SC) or non-contact sports (HC). Video recordings of all on-field activities were conducted to determine the number of head impacts during games and practices in the SC group. Results In both groups, we were able to detect a BRO response. Following one season of games and practice, we found a strong association between the number of head impacts sustained by the SC group and increases in delta and beta spectral power post-blink. There was also a significant difference between the two groups in the morphology of BRO responses, including decreased peak-to-peak amplitude of response over left parietal channels and differences in spectral power in delta and alpha frequency range post-blink. Discussion Our preliminary results suggest that the BRO response may be a useful biomarker for detecting subtle neural changes resulting from repetitive head impacts. The clinical utility of this biomarker will need to be validated through further research with larger sample sizes, involving both male and female participants, using a longitudinal design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sahar Sattari
- School of Biomedical Engineering, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Rebecca Kenny
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Careesa Chang Liu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Science, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL, United States
| | - Sujoy Ghosh Hajra
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Science, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL, United States
| | - Guy A. Dumont
- School of Biomedical Engineering, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Naznin Virji-Babul
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Physical Therapy, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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17
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Kraus N, Colegrove D, Otto-Meyer R, Bonacina S, Nicol T, Cunningham J, Krizman J. Subconcussion revealed by sound processing in the brain. EXERCISE, SPORT, & MOVEMENT 2023; 1:1-4. [PMID: 38130893 PMCID: PMC10735248 DOI: 10.1249/esm.0000000000000011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Introduction/Purpose We tested the hypothesis that an objective measure of auditory processing reveals a history of head trauma that does not meet the clinical definition of concussion. Methods Division I collegiate student-athletes (n = 709) across 19 sports were divided into groups, based on their sport, using prevailing classifications of "contact" (317 males, 212 females) and "noncontact" (58 males, 122 females). Participants were evaluated using the frequency-following response (FFR) to speech. The amplitude of FFR activity in a frequency band corresponding to the fundamental frequency (F0)-the voice pitch-of the speech stimulus, an outcome reduced in individuals with concussions, was critically examined. Results We found main effects of contact level and sex. The FFR-F0 was smaller in contact athletes than noncontact athletes and larger in females than males. There was a contact by sex interaction, with the FFR-F0 of males in the contact group being smaller than the three other groups. Secondary analyses found a correlation between FFR-F0 and length of participation in contact sports in male athletes. Conclusion These findings suggest that the disruption of sensory processing in the brain can be observed in individuals without a concussion but whose sport features regular physical contact. This evidence identifies sound processing in the brain as an objective marker of subconcussion in athletes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Kraus
- Department of Communication Science and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Department of Otolaryngology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Danielle Colegrove
- Department of Sports Medicine, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Rembrandt Otto-Meyer
- Department of Communication Science and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Silvia Bonacina
- Department of Communication Science and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Trent Nicol
- Department of Communication Science and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Jenna Cunningham
- Department of Communication Science and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Jennifer Krizman
- Department of Communication Science and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
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18
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McIver KG, Lee P, Bucherl S, Talavage TM, Myer GD, Nauman EA. Design Considerations for the Attenuation of Translational and Rotational Accelerations in American Football Helmets. J Biomech Eng 2023; 145:061008. [PMID: 36628996 PMCID: PMC10782865 DOI: 10.1115/1.4056653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Participants in American football experience repetitive head impacts that induce negative changes in neurocognitive function over the course of a single season. This study aimed to quantify the transfer function connecting the force input to the measured output acceleration of the helmet system to provide a comparison of the impact attenuation of various modern American football helmets. Impact mitigation varied considerably between helmet models and with location for each helmet model. The current data indicate that helmet mass is a key variable driving force attenuation, however flexible helmet shells, helmet shell cutouts, and more compliant padding can improve energy absorption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin G. McIver
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907
| | - Patrick Lee
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907
| | - Sean Bucherl
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907
| | - Thomas M. Talavage
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221; School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907
| | - Gregory D. Myer
- Emory Sports Performance and Research Center (SPARC), Flowery Branch, GA 30542; Emory Sports Medicine Center, Atlanta, GA 30329; Department of Orthopaedics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30329; The Micheli Center for Sports Injury Prevention, Waltham, MA 02452
| | - Eric A. Nauman
- Dane A. and Mary Louise Miller Professor Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Cincinnati, 2901 Woodside Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45221
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19
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Wilkerson GB, Colston MA, Acocello SN, Hogg JA, Carlson LM. Subtle impairments of perceptual-motor function and well-being are detectable among military cadets and college athletes with self-reported history of concussion. Front Sports Act Living 2023; 5:1046572. [PMID: 36761780 PMCID: PMC9905443 DOI: 10.3389/fspor.2023.1046572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction A lack of obvious long-term effects of concussion on standard clinical measures of behavioral performance capabilities does not preclude the existence of subtle neural processing impairments that appear to be linked to elevated risk for subsequent concussion occurrence, and which may be associated with greater susceptibility to progressive neurodegenerative processes. The purpose of this observational cohort study was to assess virtual reality motor response variability and survey responses as possible indicators of suboptimal brain function among military cadets and college athletes with self-reported history of concussion (HxC). Methods The cohort comprised 75 college students (20.7 ± 2.1 years): 39 Reserve Officer Training Corp (ROTC) military cadets (10 female), 16 football players, and 20 wrestlers; HxC self-reported by 20 (29.2 ± 27.1 months prior, range: 3-96). A virtual reality (VR) test involving 40 lunging/reaching responses to horizontally moving dots (filled/congruent: same direction; open/incongruent: opposite direction) was administered, along with the Sport Fitness and Wellness Index (SFWI) survey. VR Dispersion (standard deviation of 12 T-scores for neck, upper extremity, and lower extremity responses to congruent vs. incongruent stimuli originating from central vs. peripheral locations) and SFWI response patterns were the primary outcomes of interest. Results Logistic regression modeling of VR Dispersion (range: 1.5-21.8), SFWI (range: 44-100), and an interaction between them provided 81% HxC classification accuracy (Model χ 2[2] = 26.03, p < .001; Hosmer & Lemeshow χ 2[8] = 1.86, p = .967; Nagelkerke R 2 = .427; Area Under Curve = .841, 95% CI: .734, .948). Binary modeling that included VR Dispersion ≥3.2 and SFWI ≤86 demonstrated 75% sensitivity and 86% specificity with both factors positive (Odds Ratio = 17.6, 95% CI: 5.0, 62.1). Discussion/Conclusion Detection of subtle indicators of altered brain processes that might otherwise remain unrecognized is clearly important for both short-term and long-term clinical management of concussion. Inconsistency among neck, upper extremity, and lower extremity responses to different types of moving visual stimuli, along with survey responses suggesting suboptimal well-being, merit further investigation as possible clinical indicators of persisting effects of concussion that might prove to be modifiable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary B Wilkerson
- Department of Health and Human Performance, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Chattanooga, TN, United States
| | - Marisa A Colston
- Department of Health and Human Performance, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Chattanooga, TN, United States
| | - Shellie N Acocello
- Department of Health and Human Performance, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Chattanooga, TN, United States
| | - Jennifer A Hogg
- Department of Health and Human Performance, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Chattanooga, TN, United States
| | - Lynette M Carlson
- Department of Health and Human Performance, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Chattanooga, TN, United States
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20
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The Effects of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms on the Association between Head Impacts and Post-Season Neurocognitive and Behavioral Outcomes. J Int Neuropsychol Soc 2023; 29:24-34. [PMID: 35105403 DOI: 10.1017/s1355617721001491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Having attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a risk factor for concussion that impacts concussion diagnosis and recovery. The relationship between ADHD and repetitive subconcussive head impacts on neurocognitive and behavioral outcomes is less well known. This study evaluated the role of ADHD as a moderator of the association between repetitive head impacts on neurocognitive test performance and behavioral concussion symptoms over the course of an athletic season. METHOD Study participants included 284 male athletes aged 13-18 years who participated in high school football. Parents completed the Strengths and Weaknesses of ADHD Symptoms and Normal Behavior (SWAN) ratings about their teen athlete before the season began. Head impacts were measured using an accelerometer worn during all practices and games. Athletes and parents completed behavioral ratings of concussion symptoms and the Attention Network Task (ANT), Digital Trail Making Task (dTMT), and Cued Task Switching Task at pre- and post-season. RESULTS Mixed model analyses indicated that neither head impacts nor ADHD symptoms were associated with post-season athlete- or parent-reported concussion symptom ratings or neurocognitive task performance. Moreover, no relationships between head impact exposure and neurocognitive or behavioral outcomes emerged when severity of pre-season ADHD symptoms was included as a moderator. CONCLUSION Athletes' pre-season ADHD symptoms do not appear to influence behavioral or neurocognitive outcomes following a single season of competitive football competition. Results are interpreted in light of several study limitations (e.g., single season, assessment of constructs) that may have impacted this study's pattern of largely null results.
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21
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Shamloo F, Kon M, Ritter E, Sereno AB. Quantifying the Magnitude and Longevity of the Effect of Repetitive Head Impacts in Adolescent Soccer Players: Deleterious Effect of Long Headers Extend Beyond a Month. Neurotrauma Rep 2023; 4:267-275. [PMID: 37095854 PMCID: PMC10122256 DOI: 10.1089/neur.2022.0085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2023] Open
Abstract
There is growing interest in the effects of sports-related repetitive head impacts (RHIs) on athletes' cognitive capabilities. This study examines the effect of RHIs in data collected from adolescent athletes to estimate the magnitude and longevity of RHIs on sensorimotor and cognitive performance. A non-linear regression model estimated the longevity of RHI effects by adding a half-life parameter embedded in an exponential decay function. A model estimate of this parameter allows the possibility of RHI effects to attenuate over time and introduces a mechanism to study the cumulative effect of RHIs. The posterior distribution of the half-life parameter associated with short-distance headers (<30 m) is centered around 6 days, whereas the posterior distribution of the half-life parameter associated with long-distance headers extends beyond a month. Additionally, the magnitude of the effect of each short header is around 3 times smaller than that of a long header. The results indicate that, on both tasks, response time (RT) changes after long headers are bigger in magnitude and last longer compared to the effects of short headers. Most important, we demonstrate that deleterious effects of long headers extend beyond 1 month. Although estimates are based on data from a relatively short-duration study with a relatively small sample size, the proposed model provides a mechanism to estimate long-term behavioral slowing from RHIs, which may be helpful to reduce the risk of additional injury. Finally, differences in the longevity of the effects of short and long RHIs may help to explain the large variance found between biomechanical input and clinical outcome in studies of concussion tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farzin Shamloo
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Maria Kon
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
- Navy Center for Applied Research in Artificial Intelligence, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, USA
- Address correspondence to: Maria Kon, PhD, Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, 703 3rd Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
| | - Elizabeth Ritter
- University of North Carolina Health, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Anne B. Sereno
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
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22
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Wan Y, Teng X, Li S, Yang Y. Application of transcranial Doppler in cerebrovascular diseases. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:1035086. [PMID: 36425321 PMCID: PMC9679782 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.1035086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Transcranial Doppler (TCD) is a rapid and non-invasive diagnostic technique that can provide real-time measurements of the relative changes in cerebral blood velocity (CBV). Therefore, TCD is a useful tool in the diagnosis and treatment of clinical cerebrovascular diseases (CVDs). In this review, the basic principles of TCD and its application in CVD were outlined. Specifically, TCD could be applied to evaluate occlusive CVD, assess collateral circulation in patients with ischemic stroke, and monitor cerebral vascular occlusion before and after thrombolysis as well as cerebral vasospasm (VSP) and microembolization signals after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Moreover, TCD could predict short-term stroke and transient cerebral ischemia in patients with anterior circulation occlusion treated with endovascular therapy and in patients with anterior circulation vascular occlusion. Additionally, TCD not only could monitor blood velocity signals during carotid endarterectomy (CEA) or carotid artery stenting (CAS) but also allowed earlier intervention through early recognition of sickle cell disease (SCD). Presently, TCD is a useful prognostic tool to guide the treatment of CVD. On the one hand, TCD is more commonly applied in clinical research, and on the other hand, TCD has an increasing role in the management of patients. Collectively, we review the principles and clinical application of TCD and propose some new research applications for TCD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Yanchao Yang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
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23
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Papa L, Walter AE, Wilkes JR, Clonts HS, Johnson B, Slobounov SM. Effect of Player Position on Serum Biomarkers during Participation in a Season of Collegiate Football. J Neurotrauma 2022; 39:1339-1348. [PMID: 35615873 PMCID: PMC9529311 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2022.0083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
This prospective cohort study examined the relationship between a panel of four serum proteomic biomarkers (glial fibrillary acidic protein [GFAP], ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase-L1 [UCH-L1], total Tau, and neurofilament light chain polypeptide [NF-L]) in 52 players from two different cohorts of male collegiate student football athletes from two different competitive seasons of Division I National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Bowl Subdivision. This study evaluated changes in biomarker concentrations (as indicators of brain injury) over the course of the playing season (pre- and post-season) and also assessed biomarker concentrations by player position using two different published classification systems. Player positions were divided into: 1) speed (quarterbacks, running backs, halfbacks, fullbacks, wide receivers, tight ends, defensive backs, safety, and linebackers) versus non-speed (offensive and defensive linemen), and 2) "Profile 1" (low frequency/high strain magnitudes positions including quarterbacks, wide receivers, and defensive backs), "Profile 2" (mid-range impact frequency and strain positions including linebackers, running backs, and tight ends), and "Profile 3" (high frequency/low strains positions including defensive and offensive linemen). There were significant increases in GFAP 39.3 to 45.6 pg/mL and NF-L 3.5 to 5.4 pg/mL over the course of the season (p < 0.001) despite only five players being diagnosed with concussion. UCH-L1 decreased significantly, and Tau was not significantly different. In both the pre- and post-season blood samples Tau and NF-L concentrations were significantly higher in speed versus non-speed positions. Concentrations of GFAP, Tau, and NF-L increased incrementally from "Profile 3," to "Profile 2" to "Profile 1" in the post-season. UCH-L1 did not. GFAP increased (by Profiles 3, 2, 1) from 42.4 to 49.6 to 78.2, respectively (p = 0.051). Tau increased from 0.37 to 0.61 to 0.67, respectively (p = 0.024). NF-L increased from 3.5 to 4.9 to 8.2, respectively (p < 0.001). Although GFAP and Tau showed similar patterns of elevations by profile in the pre-season samples they were not statistically significant. Only NF-L showed significant differences between profiles 2.7 to 3.1 to 4.2 in the pre-season (p = 0.042). GFAP, Tau, and NF-L concentrations were significantly associated with different playing positions with the highest concentrations in speed and "Profile 1" positions and the lowest concentrations were in non-speed and "Profile 3" positions. Blood-based biomarkers (GFAP, Tau, NF-L) provide an additional layer of injury quantification that could contribute to a better understanding of the risks of playing different positions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Papa
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Orlando Regional Medical Center, Orlando, Florida, USA
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Alexa E. Walter
- Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - James R. Wilkes
- Department of Kinesiology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Hunter S. Clonts
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Orlando Regional Medical Center, Orlando, Florida, USA
| | - Brian Johnson
- Department of Radiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Semyon M. Slobounov
- Department of Kinesiology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
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24
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Adolescents with a concussion have altered brain network functional connectivity one month following injury when compared to adolescents with orthopedic injuries. Neuroimage Clin 2022; 36:103211. [PMID: 36182818 PMCID: PMC9668608 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2022.103211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) with increasing prevalence among children and adolescents. Functional connectivity (FC) within and between the default mode network (DMN), central executive network (CEN) and salience network (SN) has been shown to be altered post-concussion. Few studies have investigated connectivity within and between these 3 networks following a pediatric concussion. The present study explored whether within and between-network FC differs between a pediatric concussion and orthopedic injury (OI) group aged 10-18. Participants underwent a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) scan at 4 weeks post-injury. One-way ANCOVA analyses were conducted between groups with the seed-based FC of the 3 networks. A total of 55 concussion and 27 OI participants were included in the analyses. Increased within-network FC of the CEN and decreased between-network FC of the DMN-CEN was found in the concussion group when compared to the OI group. Secondary analyses using spherical SN regions of interest revealed increased within-network FC of the SN and increased between-network FC of the DMN-SN and CEN-SN in the concussion group when compared to the OI group. This study identified differential connectivity patterns following a pediatric concussion as compared to an OI 4 weeks post-injury. These differences indicate potential adaptive brain mechanisms that may provide insight into recovery trajectories and appropriate timing of treatment within the first month following a concussion.
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Abstract
Biology and experience both influence the auditory brain. Sex is one biological factor with pervasive effects on auditory processing. Females process sounds faster and more robustly than males. These differences are linked to hormone differences between the sexes. Athleticism is an experiential factor known to reduce ongoing neural noise, but whether it influences how sounds are processed by the brain is unknown. Furthermore, it is unknown whether sports participation influences auditory processing differently in males and females, given the well-documented sex differences in auditory processing seen in the general population. We hypothesized that athleticism enhances auditory processing and that these enhancements are greater in females. To test these hypotheses, we measured auditory processing in collegiate Division I male and female student-athletes and their non-athlete peers (total n = 1012) using the frequency-following response (FFR). The FFR is a neurophysiological response to sound that reflects the processing of discrete sound features. We measured across-trial consistency of the response in addition to fundamental frequency (F0) and harmonic encoding. We found that athletes had enhanced encoding of the harmonics, which was greatest in the female athletes, and that athletes had more consistent responses than non-athletes. In contrast, F0 encoding was reduced in athletes. The harmonic-encoding advantage in female athletes aligns with previous work linking harmonic encoding strength to female hormone levels and studies showing estrogen as mediating athlete sex differences in other sensory domains. Lastly, persistent deficits in auditory processing from previous concussive and repetitive subconcussive head trauma may underlie the reduced F0 encoding in athletes, as poor F0 encoding is a hallmark of concussion injury.
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26
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Wilson A, Stevens WD, Sergio L, Wojtowicz M. Altered Brain Functional Connectivity in Female Athletes Over the Course of a Season of Collision or Contact Sports. Neurotrauma Rep 2022; 3:377-387. [PMID: 36204391 PMCID: PMC9531888 DOI: 10.1089/neur.2022.0010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
University athletes are exposed to numerous impacts to the body and head, though the potential cumulative effects of such hits remain elusive. This study examined resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) of brain networks in female varsity athletes over the course of a season. Nineteen female university athletes involved in collision (N = 12) and contact (N = 7) sports underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging scans at both pre- and post-season. A group-level independent component analysis (ICA) was used to investigate differences in rsFC over the course of a season and differences between contact and collision sport athletes. Decreased rsFC was observed over the course of the season between the default mode network (DMN) and regions in the frontal, parietal, and occipital lobe (p false discovery rate, ≤0.05) driven by differences in the contact group. There was also a main effect of group in the dorsal attention network (DAN) driven by differences between contact and collision groups at pre-season. Differences identified over the course of a season of play indicate largely decreased rsFC within the DMN, and level of contact was associated with differences in rsFC of the DAN. The association between exposure to repetitive head impacts (RHIs) and observed changes in network rsFC supplements the growing literature suggesting that even non-concussed athletes may be at risk for changes in brain functioning. However, the complexity of examining the direct effects of RHIs highlights the need to consider multiple factors, including mental health and sport-specific training and expertise, that may potentially be associated with neural changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssia Wilson
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - W. Dale Stevens
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lauren Sergio
- School of Kinesiology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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27
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DiFabio MS, Smith DR, Breedlove KM, Pohlig RT, Buckley TA, Johnson CL. Altered Brain Functional Connectivity in the Frontoparietal Network following an Ice Hockey Season. Eur J Sport Sci 2022; 23:684-692. [PMID: 35466861 DOI: 10.1080/17461391.2022.2069512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
AbstractSustaining sports-related head impacts has been reported to result in neurological changes that potentially lead to later-life neurological disease. Advanced neuroimaging techniques have been used to detect subtle neurological effects resulting from head impacts, even after a single competitive season. The current study used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging to assess changes in functional connectivity of the frontoparietal network, a brain network responsible for executive functioning, in collegiate club ice hockey players over one season. Each player was scanned before and after the season and wore accelerometers to measure head impacts at practices and home games throughout the season. We examined pre- to post-season differences in connectivity within the frontoparietal and default mode networks, as well as the relationship between the total number of head impacts sustained and changes in connectivity. We found a significant interaction between network region of interest and time point (p = 0.016), in which connectivity between the left and right posterior parietal cortex seed regions increased over the season (p < 0.01). Number of impacts had a significant effect on frontoparietal network connectivity, such that more impacts were related to greater connectivity differences over the season (p = 0.042). Overall, functional connectivity increased in ice hockey athletes over a season between regions involved in executive functioning, and sensory integration, in particular. Furthermore, those who sustained more impacts had the greatest changes in connectivity. Consistent with prior findings in resting-state sports-related head impact literature, these findings have been suggested to represent brain injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa S DiFabio
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychomatics, and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilans-Universität München - University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Daniel R Smith
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE
| | - Katherine M Breedlove
- Center for Clinical Spectroscopy, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA.,Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Ryan T Pohlig
- Biostatistics Core Facility, College of Health Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE
| | - Thomas A Buckley
- Department of Kinesiology and Applied Physiology, University of Delaware, Newark, DE
| | - Curtis L Johnson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE
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28
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Vike NL, Bari S, Susnjar A, Lee T, Lycke RJ, Auger J, Music J, Nauman E, Talavage TM, Rispoli J. American football position-specific neurometabolic changes in high school athletes - a magnetic resonance spectroscopic study. J Neurotrauma 2022; 39:1168-1182. [PMID: 35414265 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2021.0186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Reports estimate between 1.6-3.8 million sports-related concussions occur annually, with 30% occurring in youth male American football athletes. Many studies report neurophysiological changes in these athletes, but the exact reasons for these changes remain elusive. Investigation of injury mechanics highlights a need to address how player position might impact these changes. Here, 55 high school American football athletes (20 linemen; 35 non-linemen) underwent magnetic resonance spectroscopy four times over the course of a football season (once prior to the season (Pre), twice during (In1, In2), and once following (Post)) to quantify metabolites (N-acetyl aspartate, choline, creatine, myo-inositol, and glutamate/glutamine) in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and primary motor cortex (M1). Head acceleration events (HAEs) were monitored at each practice and game. Spectroscopic and HAE data were analyzed by imaging session and player position. Linear regression analyses were conducted between metabolite levels and HAEs, and metabolite levels in football athletes were compared to age-and gender-matched non-contact athletes. Across-season (i.e., between Pre and In1, In2, Post), different DLPFC and M1 metabolites decreased (p<0.05) according to player position (i.e., linemen vs. non-linemen). The majority of regression results involved DLPFC metabolites in linemen, where metabolite levels were higher, from Pre to Post, with increasing HAE load. Comparisons with control athletes revealed higher metabolite levels in football athletes both before and after the season. This study highlights the importance of player position when conducting analyses on American football athletes and demonstrates elevated DLPFC and M1 brain metabolites in football athletes compared to control athletes at both Pre and Post, suggesting potential HAE-related neurocompensatory mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole L Vike
- Northwestern University, 3270, Chicago, Illinois, United States.,Purdue University, 311308, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States;
| | - Sumra Bari
- Northwestern University, 3270, Chicago, Illinois, United States.,Purdue University, 311308, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States;
| | - Antonia Susnjar
- Purdue University, 311308, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States;
| | - Taylor Lee
- Purdue University, 311308, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States;
| | - Roy J Lycke
- Purdue University, 311308, Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States;
| | - Joshua Auger
- Purdue University, 311308, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States;
| | - Jacob Music
- Purdue University, 311308, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States;
| | - Eric Nauman
- Purdue University, School of Mechanical Engineering, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States.,University of Cincinnati, 2514, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States;
| | - Thomas M Talavage
- Purdue University, 311308, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States.,University of Cincinnati, 2514, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States;
| | - Joseph Rispoli
- Purdue University, 311308, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States;
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29
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Career Head Impact Exposure Profile of Canadian University Football Players. J Appl Biomech 2022; 38:47-57. [PMID: 35045388 DOI: 10.1123/jab.2020-0228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
This study quantified head impact exposures for Canadian university football players over their varsity career. Participants included 63 players from one team that participated in a minimum of 3 seasons between 2013 and 2018. A total of 127,192 head impacts were recorded from 258 practices and 65 games. The mean (SD) number of career impacts across all positions was 2023.1 (1296.4), with an average of 37.1 (20.3) impacts per game and 7.4 (4.4) impacts per practice. The number of head impacts that players experienced during their careers increased proportionally to the number of athletic exposures (P < .001, r = .57). Linebackers and defensive and offensive linemen experienced significantly more head impacts than defensive backs, quarterbacks, and wide receivers (P ≤ .014). Seniority did not significantly affect the number of head impacts a player experienced. Mean linear acceleration increased with years of seniority within defensive backs and offensive linemen (P ≤ .01). Rotational velocity increased with years of seniority within defensive backs, defensive and offensive linemen, running backs, and wide receivers (P < .05). These data characterize career metrics of head impact exposure for Canadian university football players and provide insights to reduce head impacts through rule modifications and contact regulations.
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30
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Forodighasemabadi A, Baucher G, Soustelle L, Troalen T, Girard OM, Guye M, Grisoli JB, Ranjeva JP, Duhamel G, Callot V. Spinal cord and brain tissue impairments as long-term effects of rugby practice? An exploratory study based on T1 and ihMTsat measures. NEUROIMAGE: CLINICAL 2022; 35:103124. [PMID: 35905667 PMCID: PMC9421542 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2022.103124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Diffuse degeneration of spinal cord (higher T1) is observed in retired rugby players. Demyelination of brain WM tracts (higher T1 / lower ihMTsat values) is present in rugby players. Early aging in both brain and spinal cord tissues may be linked to the rugby practice. The aforementioned effects may suggest cumulative effects of long-term impacts on the tissues.
Rugby players are subject to multiple impacts to their head and neck that could have adverse neurological effects and put them at increased risk of neurodegeneration. Previous studies demonstrated altered default mode network and diffusion metrics on brain, as well as more foraminal stenosis, disc protrusion and neck pain among players of contact sports as compared to healthy controls. However, the long-term effects of practice and repetitive impacts on brain and cervical spinal cord (cSC) of the rugby players have never been systematically investigated. In this study, 15 retired professional and amateur rugby players (R) and 15 age-matched healthy controls (HC) (all males; mean age R: 46.8 ± 7.6; and HC: 48.6 ± 9.5) were recruited both to investigate cord impairments and further characterize brain structure damage. Medical questionnaires including modified Japanese Orthopedic Association scale (mJOA) and Neck Disability Index (NDI) were filled by all participants. A 3 T multi-parametric MR protocol including conventional qualitative techniques such as T1-, T2-, and T2*-weighted sequences, as well as state-of-the art quantitative techniques including MP2RAGE T1 mapping and 3D ihMTRAGE, was used on both brain and cSC. Normalized brain WM and GM volumes, spine Overall Stenosis Score, cord cross-sectional area and regional T1 and ihMT metrics were derived from these acquisitions. Rugby players showed significantly higher NDI scores, as well as a faster decline of normalized brain GM volume with age as compared to HC. Moreover, higher T1 values on cSC suggestive of structural degeneration, together with higher T1 and lower ihMTsat on brain WM suggestive of demyelination, were observed in retired rugby players as compared to age-matched controls, which may suggest cumulative effects of long-term impacts on the tissues. Metrics also suggest early aging and different aging processes on brain tissue in the players. These preliminary observations provide new insights in the domain, which should now be further investigated on larger cohorts and multicentric longitudinal studies, and further correlated to the likelihood of neurodegenerative diseases and risk factors.
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31
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Kashyap P, Shenk TE, Svaldi DO, Lycke RJ, Lee TA, Tamer GG, Nauman EA, Talavage TM. Normalized Brain Tissue–Level Evaluation of Volumetric Changes of Youth Athletes Participating in Collision Sports. Neurotrauma Rep 2022; 3:57-69. [PMID: 35112108 PMCID: PMC8804236 DOI: 10.1089/neur.2021.0060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Observations of short-term changes in the neural health of youth athletes participating in collision sports (e.g., football and soccer) have highlighted a need to explore potential structural alterations in brain tissue volumes for these persons. Studies have shown biochemical, vascular, functional connectivity, and white matter diffusivity changes in the brain physiology of these athletes that are strongly correlated with repetitive head acceleration exposure. Here, research is presented that highlights regional anatomical volumetric measures that change longitudinally with accrued subconcussive trauma. A novel pipeline is introduced that provides simplified data analysis on standard-space template to quantify group-level longitudinal volumetric changes within these populations. For both sports, results highlight incremental relative regional volumetric changes in the subcortical cerebrospinal fluid that are strongly correlated with head exposure events greater than a 50-G threshold at the short-term post-season assessment. Moreover, longitudinal regional gray matter volumes are observed to decrease with time, only returning to baseline/pre-participation levels after sufficient (5–6 months) rest from collision-based exposure. These temporal structural volumetric alterations are significantly different from normal aging observed in sex- and age-matched controls participating in non-collision sports. Future work involves modeling repetitive head exposure thresholds with multi-modal image analysis and understanding the underlying physiological reason. A possible pathophysiological pathway is presented, highlighting the probable metabolic regulatory mechanisms. Continual participation in collision-based activities may represent a risk wherein recovery cannot occur. Even when present, the degree of the eventual recovery remains to be explored, but has strong implications for the well-being of collision-sport participants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pratik Kashyap
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Trey E. Shenk
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Diana O. Svaldi
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Roy J. Lycke
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Taylor A. Lee
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Gregory G. Tamer
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Eric A. Nauman
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Thomas M. Talavage
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
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32
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Papa L, Johnson B, Walter AE, Wilkes JR, Knollmann-Ritschel B, Bhomia M, Slobounov SM. Decreases in Dorsal Cervical Spinal Cord White Matter Tract Integrity Are Associated with Elevated Levels of Serum MicroRNA Biomarkers in NCAA Division I Collegiate Football Players. Neurotrauma Rep 2021; 2:476-487. [PMID: 34901943 PMCID: PMC8655801 DOI: 10.1089/neur.2021.0036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
This prospective, controlled, observational cohort study assessed the performance of a novel panel of serum microRNA (miRNA) biomarkers relative to findings on cervical spinal cord magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in collegiate football players. There were 44 participants included in the study: 30 non-athlete control subjects and 14 male collegiate football athletes participating in a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Diffuse tensor MRI and blood samples were acquired within the week before the athletic season began and within the week after the last game of the season. All miRNAs were significantly higher in athletes regardless of their fractional anisotropy (FA) values (p < 0.001), even those considered to be in the “normal” range of FA for white and gray matter integrity in the cervical spinal cord. miRNA biomarkers were most significantly correlated with FA of the white matter (WM) tracts of the dorsal (posterior) spinal cord; particularly, the fasciculus gracilis, fasciculus cuneatus, lateral corticospinal tract, rubrospinal tract, lateral reticulospinal tract, spinal lemniscus, and spinothalamic and -reticular tracts. Areas under the curve for miRNA biomarkers predicting lower FA of WM dorsal (posterior) cervical spinal tracts, therefore lower white matter integrity (connectivity), were miR-505* = 0.75 (0.54–0.96), miR-30d = 0.74 (0.52–0.95), and miR-92a = 0.75 (0.53–0.98). Should these findings be replicated in a larger cohort of athletes, these markers could potentially serve as measures of neuroimaging abnormalities in athletes at risk for concussion and subconcussive injuries to the cervical spinal cord.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Papa
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Orlando Regional Medical Center, Orlando, Florida, USA.,Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Brian Johnson
- Department of Radiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Alexa E Walter
- Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - James R Wilkes
- Department of Kinesiology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | - Manish Bhomia
- Department of Pathology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Semyon M Slobounov
- Department of Kinesiology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
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Mishra S, Singh VJ, Chawla PA, Chawla V. Neuroprotective Role of Nutritional Supplementation in Athletes. Curr Mol Pharmacol 2021; 15:129-142. [PMID: 34886789 DOI: 10.2174/1874467214666211209144721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2021] [Revised: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neurodegenerative disorders belong to different classes of progressive/chronic conditions that affect the peripheral/central nervous system. It has been shown through studies that athletes who play sports involving repeated head trauma and sub-concussive impacts are more likely to experience neurological impairments and neurodegenerative disorders in the long run. AIMS The aim of the current narrative review article is to provide a summary of various nutraceuticals that offer promise in the prevention or management of sports-related injuries, especially concussions and mild traumatic brain injuries. METHODS This article reviews the various potential nutraceutical agents and their possible mechanisms in providing a beneficial effect in the injury recovery process. A thorough survey of the literature was carried out in the relevant databases to identify studies published in recent years. In the present article, we have also highlighted the major neurological disorders along with the associated nutraceutical(s) therapy in the management of disorders. RESULTS The exact pathological mechanism behind neurodegenerative conditions is complex as well as idiopathic. However, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress as well as intracellular calcium overload are some common reasons responsible for the progression of these neurodegenerative disorders. Owing to the multifaceted effects of nutraceuticals (complementary medicine), these supplements have gained importance as neuroprotective. These diet-based approaches inhibit different pathways in a physiological manner without eliciting adverse effects. Food habits and lifestyle of an individual also affect neurodegeneration. CONCLUSION Studies have shown nutraceuticals (such as resveratrol, omega-3-fatty acids) to be efficacious in terms of their neuroprotection against several neurodegenerative disorders and to be used as supplements in the management of traumatic brain injuries. Protection prior to injuries is needed since concussions or sub-concussive impacts may trigger several pathophysiological responses or cascades that can lead to long-term complications associated with CNS. Thus, the use of nutraceuticals as prophylactic treatment for neurological interventions has been proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Supriya Mishra
- Department of Pharmacology, SRM College of Pharmacy, Delhi-NCR. India
| | - Vikram Jeet Singh
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Analysis, ISF College of Pharmacy, Moga-142001, Punjab. India
| | - Pooja A Chawla
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Analysis, ISF College of Pharmacy, Moga-142001, Punjab. India
| | - Viney Chawla
- Department of Pharmaceutics, University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research, Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot-151203, Punjab. India
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34
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Narad ME, Epstein J, Peugh J, Barber Foss KD, Diekfuss JA, Bonnette S, Orban S, Yuan W, Dudley J, DiCesare CA, Reddington DL, Zhong W, Nissen KS, Shafer J, Avedesian JM, Slutsky-Ganesh AB, Lloyd RS, Howell D, Myer GD. The effect of subconcussive head impact exposure and jugular vein compression on behavioral and cognitive outcomes after a single season of high-school football: A prospective longitudinal trial. J Neurotrauma 2021; 39:49-57. [PMID: 34779241 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2021.0078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
This prospective longitudinal trial aimed to 1) determine the role of head impact exposure on behavioral/cognitive outcomes, and 2) assess the protective effect(s) of a jugular vein compression (JVC) collar on behavioral/cognitive outcomes following one season of high-school football. Participants included 284 male high-school football players aged 13-18 years enrolled from seven midwestern high-schools. Schools were allocated to the JVC collar intervention(four teams, 140 players) or non-collar/no intervention control (three teams, 144 players) condition. Head impact exposure was measured throughout the season using CSx accelerometers. Outcome measures included post season parent and adolescent report on Strengths and Weaknesses of ADHD Symptoms and Normal Behavior Scale (SWAN) and Post-Concussion Symptom Inventory (PCSI), as well as adolescent performance on Attention Network Task (ANT), digital Trail Making Task (dTMT), and Cued Switching task. No significant effect of head impact exposure or JVC collar use on post-season SWAN or PCSI scores or performance on dTMT and Cued Switching task were noted. There was no effect of head impact exposure on ANT performance; however, the JVC collar group had greater post-season Alerting network scores than the non-collar group (p=.026, d=.22). Findings provide preliminary evidence that the JVC collar may provide some protection to the alerting attention system. These findings should be interpreted cautiously as a greater understanding of the long-term sequalae of head impact exposure and the role of cumulative head impact exposure behavioral/cognitive outcomes is required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan E Narad
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Division of Behavioral Medicine & Clinical Psychology, 3333 Burnet Ave, mlc 10006, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, 45229;
| | - Jeffery Epstein
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States;
| | - James Peugh
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 2518, Behavioral Medicine & Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States;
| | - Kim D Barber Foss
- Emory University, 1371, Emory Sport Performance and Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia, United States;
| | - Jed A Diekfuss
- Emory University, 1371, Emory Sport Performance and Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia, United States;
| | - Scott Bonnette
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 2518, The SPORT Center, Division of Sports Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States;
| | - Sarah Orban
- University of Tampa, Department of psychology, Tampa, FL, United States;
| | - Weihong Yuan
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 2518, 3333 Burnew Ave, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, 45229-3026;
| | - Jonathan Dudley
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 2518, 3333 Burnet Ave, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, 45229-3026;
| | - Christopher A DiCesare
- University of Michigan, 1259, Department of Mechanical engineering, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States;
| | - Danielle L Reddington
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 2518, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States;
| | - Wen Zhong
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 2518, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States;
| | | | - Jessica Shafer
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 2518, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States;
| | | | - Alexis B Slutsky-Ganesh
- The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Department of Kinesiology, Greensboro, North Carolina, United States;
| | - Rhodri S Lloyd
- Cardiff Metropolitan University, 11352, Cardiff, Cardiff, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.,AUT University, Auckland, New Zealand.,Waikato Institute of Technology, 3715, Hamilton, New Zealand;
| | - David Howell
- University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, 12225, Department of Orthopedics , Aurora, Colorado, United States;
| | - Greg D Myer
- Emory University School of Medicine, 12239, Atlanta, Georgia, United States.,the Micheli Center for Sports Injury Prevention, Waltham, Ma, United States;
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35
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Cournoyer J, Karton C, Koncan D, Gilchrist MD, Cantu RC, Hoshizaki TB. Brain trauma exposure for American tackle football players 5 to 9 and 9 to 14 years of age. J Biomech 2021; 127:110689. [PMID: 34416530 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2021.110689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
American football helmets used by youth players are currently designed and tested to the same standards as professionals. The National Operating Committee on Standard and Safety requested research aiming at understanding the differences in brain trauma in youth American football for players aged five to nine and nine to fourteen years old to inform a youth specific American football standard. Video analysis and laboratory reconstructions of head impacts were undertaken to measure differences in head impact frequency, event types, and magnitudes of maximum principal strain (MPS) for the two age groups. Overall frequencies and frequencies for five categories of MPS representing different magnitudes of risk were tabulated. The MPS categories were very low (<0.08), low (0.08-0.169), medium (0.17-0.259), high (0.26-0.349) and very high (>0.35). Both cohorts experienced a majority of head impacts (>56%) at very low magnitude of MPS. Youth American football players aged 9-14 yrs. sustained a greater frequency of head impacts at MPS between 0.08 and 0.169 % associated with changes in brain structure and function. There were no differences in overall frequency, or in frequency of head impacts in other categories of MPS. The proportion of impacts considered injurious (MPS > 0.08) was greater in the 5-9 group (44%), than the 9-14 group (39%), and impacts above 0.35 % were only reported for the younger age group. The larger helmet-to-shoulder ratio in the younger age groups may have contributed to this finding suggesting that youth American football players under the age of nine would benefit from a child-specific football helmet.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Cournoyer
- University of Ottawa, School of Human Kinetics, Ottawa, Canada.
| | - C Karton
- University of Ottawa, School of Human Kinetics, Ottawa, Canada
| | - D Koncan
- University of Ottawa, School of Human Kinetics, Ottawa, Canada
| | - M D Gilchrist
- University College Dublin, School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering
| | - R C Cantu
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease and Chronic Encephalopathy Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; Department of neurosurgery, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; Department of neurosurgery, Emerson Hospital, Concord, MA, USA; Concussion Legacy Foundation, Boston, MA, USA
| | - T B Hoshizaki
- University of Ottawa, School of Human Kinetics, Ottawa, Canada
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36
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Heileson JL, Anzalone AJ, Carbuhn AF, Askow AT, Stone JD, Turner SM, Hillyer LM, Ma DWL, Luedke JA, Jagim AR, Oliver JM. The effect of omega-3 fatty acids on a biomarker of head trauma in NCAA football athletes: a multi-site, non-randomized study. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2021; 18:65. [PMID: 34579748 PMCID: PMC8477477 DOI: 10.1186/s12970-021-00461-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background American-style football (ASF) athletes are at risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and exhibit elevated levels of serum neurofilament light (Nf-L), a biomarker of axonal injury that is associated with repetitive head impact exposure over the course of a season of competition. Supplementation with the w-3 fatty acid (FA) docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) attenuates serum Nf-L elevations and improves aspects of CVD, such as the omega-3 index (O3I). However, the effect of combining the w-3 FA eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) with DHA on, specifically, serum Nf-L in ASF athletes is unknown. Therefore, this study assessed the effect of supplemental w-3 FA (EPA+DPA+DHA) on serum Nf-L, plasma w-3 FAs, the O3I, and surrogate markers of inflammation over the course of a season. Methods A multi-site, non-randomized design, utilizing two American football teams was employed. One team (n = 3 1) received supplementation with a highly bioavailablew-3 FA formulation (2000mg DHA, 560mg EPA, 320mg DPA, Mindset®, Struct Nutrition, Missoula, MT) during pre-season and throughout the regular season, while the second team served as the control (n = 35) and did not undergo supplementation. Blood was sampled at specific times throughout pre- and regular season coincident w ith changes in intensity, physical contact, and changes in the incidence and severity of head impacts. Group differences were determined via a mixed-model between-within subjects ANOVA. Effect sizes were calculated using Cohen’s dfor all between-group differences. Significance was set a priori at p< .05. Results Compared to the control group, ASF athletes in the treatment group experienced large increases in plasma EPA (p < .001, d = 1.71) and DHA (p < .001, d = 2.10) which contributed to increases in the O3I (p < .001, d = 2.16) and the EPA:AA ratio (p = .001, d = 0.83) and a reduction in the w-6: w-3 ratio (p < .001, d = 1.80). w-3 FA supplementation attenuated elevations in Nf-L (p = .024). The control group experienced a significant increase in Nf-L compared to baseline at several measurement time points (T2, T3, and T4 [p range < .001 – .005, drange = 0.59-0.85]). Conclusions These findings suggest a cardio- and neuroprotective effect of combined EPA+DPA+DHA w-3 FA supplementation in American-style football athletes. Trial registration This trial was registered with the ISRCTN registry (ISRCTN90306741).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffery L Heileson
- Department of Health, Human Performance, and Recreation, Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA
| | | | | | - Andrew T Askow
- Nutrition and Exercise Performance Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Jason D Stone
- Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Stephanie M Turner
- Department of Kinesiology, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX, USA
| | - Lyn M Hillyer
- Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada
| | - David W L Ma
- Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada
| | - Joel A Luedke
- Athletics Department, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse, La Crosse, WI, USA
| | - Andrew R Jagim
- Sports Medicine, Mayo Clinic Health Systems, Onalaska, WI, USA
| | - Jonathan M Oliver
- Department of Kinesiology, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX, USA
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37
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Lee TA, Lycke RJ, Lee PJ, Cudal CM, Torolski KJ, Bucherl SE, Leiva-Molano N, Auerbach PS, Talavage TM, Nauman EA. Distribution of Head Acceleration Events Varies by Position and Play Type in North American Football. Clin J Sport Med 2021; 31:e245-e250. [PMID: 32032162 DOI: 10.1097/jsm.0000000000000778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The goal of this pilot study was to evaluate the number of head acceleration events (HAEs) based on position, play type, and starting stance. DESIGN Prospective cohort study. SETTING Postcollegiate skill development camp during practice sessions and 1 exhibition game. PARTICIPANTS Seventy-eight male adult North American football athletes. INDEPENDENT VARIABLES A position was assigned to each participant, and plays in the exhibition game were separated by play type for analysis. During the exhibition game, video data were used to determine the effects of the starting position ("up" in a 2-point stance or "down" in a 3- or 4-point stance) on the HAEs experienced by players on the offensive line. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Peak linear acceleration and number of HAEs greater than 20 g (g = 9.81 m/s2) were measured using an xPatch (X2 Biosystems, Seattle, WA). RESULTS Four hundred thirty-seven HAEs were recorded during practices and 272 recorded during the exhibition game; 98 and 52 HAEs, the greatest number of HAEs by position in the game, were experienced by the offensive and defensive linemen, respectively. Linebackers and tight ends experienced high percentages of HAEs above 60 g. Offensive line players in a down stance had a higher likelihood of sustaining a HAE than players in an up stance regardless of the type of play (run vs pass). CONCLUSIONS Changing the stance of players on the offensive line and reducing the number of full-contact practices will lower HAEs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor A Lee
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
| | - Roy J Lycke
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
| | - Patrick J Lee
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
| | - Caroline M Cudal
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
| | - Kelly J Torolski
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
| | - Sean E Bucherl
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
| | - Nicolas Leiva-Molano
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
| | - Paul S Auerbach
- Military/Emergency Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
| | - Thomas M Talavage
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana; and
| | - Eric A Nauman
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
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38
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McAllister D, Akers C, Boldt B, Mitchell LA, Tranvinh E, Douglas D, Goubran M, Rosenberg J, Georgiadis M, Karimpoor M, DiGiacomo P, Mouchawar N, Grant G, Camarillo D, Wintermark M, Zeineh MM. Neuroradiologic Evaluation of MRI in High-Contact Sports. Front Neurol 2021; 12:701948. [PMID: 34456852 PMCID: PMC8385770 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2021.701948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and Purpose: Athletes participating in high-contact sports experience repeated head trauma. Anatomical findings, such as a cavum septum pellucidum, prominent CSF spaces, and hippocampal volume reductions, have been observed in cases of mild traumatic brain injury. The extent to which these neuroanatomical findings are associated with high-contact sports is unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine whether there are subtle neuroanatomic differences between athletes participating in high-contact sports compared to low-contact athletic controls. Materials and Methods: We performed longitudinal structural brain MRI scans in 63 football (high-contact) and 34 volleyball (low-contact control) male collegiate athletes with up to 4 years of follow-up, evaluating a total of 315 MRI scans. Board-certified neuroradiologists performed semi-quantitative visual analysis of neuroanatomic findings, including: cavum septum pellucidum type and size, extent of perivascular spaces, prominence of CSF spaces, white matter hyperintensities, arterial spin labeling perfusion asymmetries, fractional anisotropy holes, and hippocampal size. Results: At baseline, cavum septum pellucidum length was greater in football compared to volleyball controls (p = 0.02). All other comparisons were statistically equivalent after multiple comparison correction. Within football at baseline, the following trends that did not survive multiple comparison correction were observed: more years of prior football exposure exhibited a trend toward more perivascular spaces (p = 0.03 uncorrected), and lower baseline Standardized Concussion Assessment Tool scores toward more perivascular spaces (p = 0.02 uncorrected) and a smaller right hippocampal size (p = 0.02 uncorrected). Conclusion: Head impacts in high-contact sport (football) athletes may be associated with increased cavum septum pellucidum length compared to low-contact sport (volleyball) athletic controls. Other investigated neuroradiology metrics were generally equivalent between sports.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derek McAllister
- Department of Radiology, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Carolyn Akers
- Department of Radiology, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Brian Boldt
- Department of Radiology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States.,Department of Radiology, Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, WA, United States
| | - Lex A Mitchell
- Department of Radiology, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States.,Hawaii Permanente Medical Group, Honolulu, HI, United States.,John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, HI, United States
| | - Eric Tranvinh
- Department of Radiology, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - David Douglas
- Department of Radiology, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Maged Goubran
- Department of Radiology, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States.,Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program and Physical Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jarrett Rosenberg
- Department of Radiology, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Marios Georgiadis
- Department of Radiology, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Mahta Karimpoor
- Department of Radiology, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Phillip DiGiacomo
- Department of Radiology, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Nicole Mouchawar
- Department of Radiology, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Gerald Grant
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - David Camarillo
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Max Wintermark
- Department of Radiology, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Michael M Zeineh
- Department of Radiology, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
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39
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Owens TS, Calverley TA, Stacey BS, Iannatelli A, Venables L, Rose G, Fall L, Tsukamoto H, Berg RMG, Jones GL, Marley CJ, Bailey DM. Contact events in rugby union and the link to reduced cognition: evidence for impaired redox-regulation of cerebrovascular function. Exp Physiol 2021; 106:1971-1980. [PMID: 34355451 DOI: 10.1113/ep089330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
NEW FINDINGS What is the central question of this study? How does recurrent contact incurred across a season of professional rugby union impact molecular, cerebrovascular and cognitive function? What is the main findings and its importance? A single season of professional rugby union increases systemic oxidative-nitrosative stress (OXNOS) confirmed by a free radical-mediated suppression in nitric oxide bioavailability. Forwards encountered a higher frequency of contact events compared to backs, exhibiting elevated OXNOS and lower cerebrovascular function and cognition. Collectively, these findings provide mechanistic insight into the possible cause of reduced cognition in rugby union subsequent to impairment in the redox regulation of cerebrovascular function. ABSTRACT Contact events in rugby union remain a public health concern. We determined the molecular, cerebrovascular and cognitive consequences of contact events during a season of professional rugby. Twenty-one male players aged 25 (mean) ± 4 (SD) years were recruited from a professional rugby team comprising forwards (n = 13) and backs (n = 8). Data were collected across the season. Pre- and post-season, venous blood was assayed for the ascorbate free radical (A•- , electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy) and nitric oxide (NO, reductive ozone-based chemiluminescence) to quantify oxidative-nitrosative stress (OXNOS). Middle cerebral artery velocity (MCAv, Doppler ultrasound) was measured to assess cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR), and cognition was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Notational analysis determined contact events over the season. Forwards incurred more collisions (Mean difference [MD ] 7.49; 95% CI, 2.58-12.40; P = 0.005), tackles (MD 3.49; 95% CI, 0.42-6.56; P = 0.028) and jackals (MD 2.21; 95% CI, 0.18-4.24; P = 0.034). Forwards suffered five concussions while backs suffered one concussion. An increase in systemic OXNOS, confirmed by elevated A•- (F2,19 = 10.589, P = 0.004) and corresponding suppression of NO bioavailability (F2,19 = 11.492, P = 0.003) was apparent in forwards and backs across the season. This was accompanied by a reduction in cerebral oxygen delivery ( c D O 2 , F2,19 = 9.440, P = 0.006) and cognition (F2,19 = 4.813, P = 0.041). Forwards exhibited a greater decline in the cerebrovascular reactivity range to changes in PETCO2 ( CV R C O 2 RANG compared to backs (MD 1.378; 95% CI, 0.74-2.02; P < 0.001).
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas S Owens
- Neurovascular Research Laboratory, Faculty of Life Sciences and Education, University of South Wales, Pontypridd, UK
| | - Thomas A Calverley
- Neurovascular Research Laboratory, Faculty of Life Sciences and Education, University of South Wales, Pontypridd, UK
| | - Benjamin S Stacey
- Neurovascular Research Laboratory, Faculty of Life Sciences and Education, University of South Wales, Pontypridd, UK
| | - Angelo Iannatelli
- Neurovascular Research Laboratory, Faculty of Life Sciences and Education, University of South Wales, Pontypridd, UK
| | - Lucy Venables
- Neurovascular Research Laboratory, Faculty of Life Sciences and Education, University of South Wales, Pontypridd, UK
| | - George Rose
- Neurovascular Research Laboratory, Faculty of Life Sciences and Education, University of South Wales, Pontypridd, UK
| | - Lewis Fall
- Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Science, University of South Wales, Pontypridd, UK
| | - Hayato Tsukamoto
- Faculty of Sport and Health Science, Ritsumeikan University, Shiga, Japan
| | - Ronan M G Berg
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Gareth L Jones
- Neurovascular Research Laboratory, Faculty of Life Sciences and Education, University of South Wales, Pontypridd, UK
| | - Christopher J Marley
- Neurovascular Research Laboratory, Faculty of Life Sciences and Education, University of South Wales, Pontypridd, UK
| | - Damian M Bailey
- Neurovascular Research Laboratory, Faculty of Life Sciences and Education, University of South Wales, Pontypridd, UK
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40
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Svaldi DO, Goñi J, Abbas K, Amico E, Clark DG, Muralidharan C, Dzemidzic M, West JD, Risacher SL, Saykin AJ, Apostolova LG. Optimizing differential identifiability improves connectome predictive modeling of cognitive deficits from functional connectivity in Alzheimer's disease. Hum Brain Mapp 2021; 42:3500-3516. [PMID: 33949732 PMCID: PMC8249900 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2019] [Revised: 03/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional connectivity, as estimated using resting state functional MRI, has shown potential in bridging the gap between pathophysiology and cognition. However, clinical use of functional connectivity biomarkers is impeded by unreliable estimates of individual functional connectomes and lack of generalizability of models predicting cognitive outcomes from connectivity. To address these issues, we combine the frameworks of connectome predictive modeling and differential identifiability. Using the combined framework, we show that enhancing the individual fingerprint of resting state functional connectomes leads to robust identification of functional networks associated to cognitive outcomes and also improves prediction of cognitive outcomes from functional connectomes. Using a comprehensive spectrum of cognitive outcomes associated to Alzheimer's disease (AD), we identify and characterize functional networks associated to specific cognitive deficits exhibited in AD. This combined framework is an important step in making individual level predictions of cognition from resting state functional connectomes and in understanding the relationship between cognition and connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Joaquín Goñi
- School of Industrial EngineeringPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndianaUSA
- Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, Purdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndianaUSA
- Weldon School of Biomedical EngineeringPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndianaUSA
| | - Kausar Abbas
- School of Industrial EngineeringPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndianaUSA
- Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, Purdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndianaUSA
| | - Enrico Amico
- School of Industrial EngineeringPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndianaUSA
- Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, Purdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndianaUSA
| | - David G. Clark
- Indiana University School of MedicineIndianapolisIndianaUSA
| | | | | | - John D. West
- Indiana University School of MedicineIndianapolisIndianaUSA
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41
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Walter AE, Wilkes JR, Arnett PA, Miller SJ, Sebastianelli W, Seidenberg P, Slobounov SM. The accumulation of subconcussive impacts on cognitive, imaging, and biomarker outcomes in child and college-aged athletes: a systematic review. Brain Imaging Behav 2021; 16:503-517. [PMID: 34308510 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-021-00489-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Examine the effect of subconcussive impact accumulation on cognitive/functional, imaging, and biomarker outcomes over the course of a single season, specifically in contact sport athletes at collegiate level or younger. Systematic review following PRISMA guidelines and using Oxford Center for Evidence-Based Medicine 2011 Levels of Evidence and Newcastle Ottawa Assessment Scale. PubMed MEDLINE, PsycInfo, SPORT-Discus, Web of Science. Original research in English that addressed the influence of subconcussive impacts on outcomes of interest with minimum preseason and postseason measurement in current youth, high school, or college-aged contact sport athletes. 796 articles were initially identified, and 48 articles were included in this review. The studies mostly involved male football athletes in high school or college and demonstrated an underrepresentation of female and youth studies. Additionally, operationalization of previous concussion history and concussion among studies was very inconsistent. Major methodological differences existed across studies, with ImPACT and diffusion tensor imaging being the most commonly used modalities. Biomarker studies generally showed negative effects, cognitive/functional studies mostly revealed no effects, and advanced imaging studies showed generally negative findings over the season; however, there was variability in the findings across all types of studies. This systematic review revealed growing literature on this topic, but inconsistent methodology and operationalization across studies makes it challenging to draw concrete conclusions. Overall, cognitive measures alone do not seem to detect changes across this timeframe while imaging and biomarker measures may be more sensitive to changes following subconcussive impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexa E Walter
- Department of Kinesiology, Penn State University, 25 Recreation Hall, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
| | - James R Wilkes
- Department of Kinesiology, Penn State University, 25 Recreation Hall, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Peter A Arnett
- Department of Psychology, Penn State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Sayers John Miller
- Department of Kinesiology, Penn State University, 25 Recreation Hall, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Wayne Sebastianelli
- Deparetment of Orthopaedics, Penn State Health, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA
| | - Peter Seidenberg
- Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation and Family and Community Medicine, Penn State Health, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA
| | - Semyon M Slobounov
- Department of Kinesiology, Penn State University, 25 Recreation Hall, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
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42
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Sicard V, Caron G, Moore RD, Ellemberg D. Post-exercise cognitive testing to assess persisting alterations in athletes with a history of concussion. Brain Inj 2021; 35:978-985. [PMID: 34223775 DOI: 10.1080/02699052.2021.1944668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Primary Objective: To determine whether a physical exercise protocol could reveal persistent cognitive alterations in university athletes with a history of concussion (HOC). Thirty-four HOC and 34 controls participated in this study.Research Design: Cross-sectional.Methods and Procedures: The exercise protocol consisted of a 20-min bout on a stationary bike at 80% of the theoretical maximal heart rate. Before and after the exercise, participants performed a computerized switch task designed specifically to recruit executive functions. Group × Condition (pre- and post-exercise) repeated measures of ANCOVAs for accuracy, reaction time, and inverse efficiency score on the switch task were conducted. Chi-square tests were run to determine if the proportion of HOC and controls who underperformed (at least 2SD lower than the control group's average score) at rest and post-exercise were similar. Whilst no interaction or main effects were found with ANCOVAs, significantly more HOC athletes (21%) underperformed following exercise than at rest (3%) on the switch task, p = .02. The current results indicate that an acute bout of exercise can reveal persistent alterations that are not present at rest in the protracted phase of concussion. They also highlight the importance of considering inter-individual differences in recovery trajectories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronik Sicard
- School of Kinesiology and Exercise Science, Université De Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Centre De Recherche En Neuropsychologie Et Cognition, 90 Rue Vincent d'Indy, Université De Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Gabriel Caron
- School of Kinesiology and Exercise Science, Université De Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Centre De Recherche En Neuropsychologie Et Cognition, 90 Rue Vincent d'Indy, Université De Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Robert Davis Moore
- Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Dave Ellemberg
- School of Kinesiology and Exercise Science, Université De Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Centre De Recherche En Neuropsychologie Et Cognition, 90 Rue Vincent d'Indy, Université De Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
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43
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Gatica M, Cofré R, Mediano PAM, Rosas FE, Orio P, Diez I, Swinnen SP, Cortes JM. High-Order Interdependencies in the Aging Brain. Brain Connect 2021; 11:734-744. [PMID: 33858199 DOI: 10.1089/brain.2020.0982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Brain interdependencies can be studied from either a structural/anatomical perspective ("structural connectivity") or by considering statistical interdependencies ("functional connectivity" [FC]). Interestingly, while structural connectivity is by definition pairwise (white-matter fibers project from one region to another), FC is not. However, most FC analyses only focus on pairwise statistics and they neglect higher order interactions. A promising tool to study high-order interdependencies is the recently proposed O-Information, which can quantify the intrinsic statistical synergy and the redundancy in groups of three or more interacting variables. Methods: We analyzed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data obtained at rest from 164 healthy subjects with ages ranging in 10 to 80 years and used O-Information to investigate how high-order statistical interdependencies are affected by age. Results: Older participants (from 60 to 80 years old) exhibited a higher predominance of redundant dependencies compared with younger participants, an effect that seems to be pervasive as it is evident for all orders of interaction. In addition, while there is strong heterogeneity across brain regions, we found a "redundancy core" constituted by the prefrontal and motor cortices in which redundancy was evident at all the interaction orders studied. Discussion: High-order interdependencies in fMRI data reveal a dominant redundancy in functions such as working memory, executive, and motor functions. Our methodology can be used for a broad range of applications, and the corresponding code is freely available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marilyn Gatica
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile.,Biomedical Research Doctorate Program, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - Rodrigo Cofré
- CIMFAV-Ingemat, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Pedro A M Mediano
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Fernando E Rosas
- Centre for Psychedelic Research, Department of Brain Science, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.,Data Science Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.,Centre for Complexity Science, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Patricio Orio
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile.,Instituto de Neurociencia, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Ibai Diez
- Department of Radiology, Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Neurology Department, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Neurotechnology Laboratory, Tecnalia Health Department, Derio, Spain
| | - Stephan P Swinnen
- Research Center for Movement Control and Neuroplasticity, Department of Movement Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jesus M Cortes
- Computational Neuroimaging Lab, Biocruces-Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Barakaldo, Spain.,IKERBASQUE: The Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain.,Department of Cell Biology and Histology, University of the Basque Country, Leioa, Spain
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44
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Asken BM, Rabinovici GD. Identifying degenerative effects of repetitive head trauma with neuroimaging: a clinically-oriented review. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2021; 9:96. [PMID: 34022959 PMCID: PMC8141132 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-021-01197-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND SCOPE OF REVIEW Varying severities and frequencies of head trauma may result in dynamic acute and chronic pathophysiologic responses in the brain. Heightened attention to long-term effects of head trauma, particularly repetitive head trauma, has sparked recent efforts to identify neuroimaging biomarkers of underlying disease processes. Imaging modalities like structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) are the most clinically applicable given their use in neurodegenerative disease diagnosis and differentiation. In recent years, researchers have targeted repetitive head trauma cohorts in hopes of identifying in vivo biomarkers for underlying biologic changes that might ultimately improve diagnosis of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in living persons. These populations most often include collision sport athletes (e.g., American football, boxing) and military veterans with repetitive low-level blast exposure. We provide a clinically-oriented review of neuroimaging data from repetitive head trauma cohorts based on structural MRI, FDG-PET, Aβ-PET, and tau-PET. We supplement the review with two patient reports of neuropathology-confirmed, clinically impaired adults with prior repetitive head trauma who underwent structural MRI, FDG-PET, Aβ-PET, and tau-PET in addition to comprehensive clinical examinations before death. REVIEW CONCLUSIONS Group-level comparisons to controls without known head trauma have revealed inconsistent regional volume differences, with possible propensity for medial temporal, limbic, and subcortical (thalamus, corpus callosum) structures. Greater frequency and severity (i.e., length) of cavum septum pellucidum (CSP) is observed in repetitive head trauma cohorts compared to unexposed controls. It remains unclear whether CSP predicts a particular neurodegenerative process, but CSP presence should increase suspicion that clinical impairment is at least partly attributable to the individual's head trauma exposure (regardless of underlying disease). PET imaging similarly has not revealed a prototypical metabolic or molecular pattern associated with repetitive head trauma or predictive of CTE based on the most widely studied radiotracers. Given the range of clinical syndromes and neurodegenerative pathologies observed in a subset of adults with prior repetitive head trauma, structural MRI and PET imaging may still be useful for differential diagnosis (e.g., assessing suspected Alzheimer's disease).
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Affiliation(s)
- Breton M. Asken
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, 675 Nelson Rising Lane, Suite 190, San Francisco, CA 94143 USA
| | - Gil D. Rabinovici
- Departments of Neurology, Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, Memory and Aging Center, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, 675 Nelson Rising Lane, Suite 190, San Francisco, CA 94143 USA
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45
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Churchill NW, Hutchison MG, Graham SJ, Schweizer TA. Long-term changes in the small-world organization of brain networks after concussion. Sci Rep 2021; 11:6862. [PMID: 33767293 PMCID: PMC7994718 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-85811-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
There is a growing body of literature using functional MRI to study the acute and long-term effects of concussion on functional brain networks. To date, studies have largely focused on changes in pairwise connectivity strength between brain regions. Less is known about how concussion affects whole-brain network topology, particularly the “small-world” organization which facilitates efficient communication at both local and global scales. The present study addressed this knowledge gap by measuring local and global efficiency of 26 concussed athletes at acute injury, return to play (RTP) and one year post-RTP, along with a cohort of 167 athletic controls. On average, concussed athletes showed no alterations in local efficiency but had elevated global efficiency at acute injury, which had resolved by RTP. Athletes with atypically long recovery, however, had reduced global efficiency at 1 year post-RTP, suggesting long-term functional abnormalities for this subgroup. Analyses of nodal efficiency further indicated that global network changes were driven by high-efficiency visual and sensorimotor regions and low-efficiency frontal and subcortical regions. This study provides evidence that concussion causes subtle acute and long-term changes in the small-world organization of the brain, with effects that are related to the clinical profile of recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- N W Churchill
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada. .,Neuroscience Research Program, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | - M G Hutchison
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - S J Graham
- Physical Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Science Center, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - T A Schweizer
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Neuroscience Research Program, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Faculty of Medicine (Neurosurgery), University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,The Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering (IBBME), University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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DeSimone JC, Davenport EM, Urban J, Xi Y, Holcomb JM, Kelley ME, Whitlow CT, Powers AK, Stitzel JD, Maldjian JA. Mapping default mode connectivity alterations following a single season of subconcussive impact exposure in youth football. Hum Brain Mapp 2021; 42:2529-2545. [PMID: 33734521 PMCID: PMC8090779 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Revised: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Repetitive head impact (RHI) exposure in collision sports may contribute to adverse neurological outcomes in former players. In contrast to a concussion, or mild traumatic brain injury, “subconcussive” RHIs represent a more frequent and asymptomatic form of exposure. The neural network‐level signatures characterizing subconcussive RHIs in youth collision‐sport cohorts such as American Football are not known. Here, we used resting‐state functional MRI to examine default mode network (DMN) functional connectivity (FC) following a single football season in youth players (n = 50, ages 8–14) without concussion. Football players demonstrated reduced FC across widespread DMN regions compared with non‐collision sport controls at postseason but not preseason. In a subsample from the original cohort (n = 17), players revealed a negative change in FC between preseason and postseason and a positive and compensatory change in FC during the offseason across the majority of DMN regions. Lastly, significant FC changes, including between preseason and postseason and between in‐ and off‐season, were specific to players at the upper end of the head impact frequency distribution. These findings represent initial evidence of network‐level FC abnormalities following repetitive, non‐concussive RHIs in youth football. Furthermore, the number of subconcussive RHIs proved to be a key factor influencing DMN FC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse C. DeSimone
- Advanced Neuroscience Imaging Research (ANSIR) LaboratoryUniversity of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDallasTexasUSA
- Department of RadiologyUniversity of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDallasTexasUSA
| | - Elizabeth M. Davenport
- Advanced Neuroscience Imaging Research (ANSIR) LaboratoryUniversity of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDallasTexasUSA
- Department of RadiologyUniversity of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDallasTexasUSA
| | - Jillian Urban
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringWake Forest School of MedicineWinston SalemNorth CarolinaUSA
- Virginia Tech – Wake Forest School of Biomedical EngineeringWake Forest School of MedicineWinston SalemNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Yin Xi
- Department of RadiologyUniversity of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDallasTexasUSA
| | - James M. Holcomb
- Advanced Neuroscience Imaging Research (ANSIR) LaboratoryUniversity of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDallasTexasUSA
- Department of RadiologyUniversity of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDallasTexasUSA
| | - Mireille E. Kelley
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringWake Forest School of MedicineWinston SalemNorth CarolinaUSA
- Virginia Tech – Wake Forest School of Biomedical EngineeringWake Forest School of MedicineWinston SalemNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Christopher T. Whitlow
- Virginia Tech – Wake Forest School of Biomedical EngineeringWake Forest School of MedicineWinston SalemNorth CarolinaUSA
- Department of Radiology – NeuroradiologyWake Forest School of MedicineWinston SalemNorth CarolinaUSA
- Clinical and Translational Sciences InstituteWake Forest School of MedicineWinston SalemNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Alexander K. Powers
- Department of NeurosurgeryWake Forest School of MedicineWinston SalemNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Joel D. Stitzel
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringWake Forest School of MedicineWinston SalemNorth CarolinaUSA
- Virginia Tech – Wake Forest School of Biomedical EngineeringWake Forest School of MedicineWinston SalemNorth CarolinaUSA
- Clinical and Translational Sciences InstituteWake Forest School of MedicineWinston SalemNorth CarolinaUSA
- Childress Institute for Pediatric TraumaWake Forest School of MedicineWinston SalemNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Joseph A. Maldjian
- Advanced Neuroscience Imaging Research (ANSIR) LaboratoryUniversity of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDallasTexasUSA
- Department of RadiologyUniversity of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDallasTexasUSA
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Rao HM, Yuditskaya S, Williamson JR, Vian TR, Lacirignola JJ, Shenk TE, Talavage TM, Heaton KJ, Quatieri TF. Using Oculomotor Features to Predict Changes in Optic Nerve Sheath Diameter and ImPACT Scores From Contact-Sport Athletes. Front Neurol 2021; 12:584684. [PMID: 33746869 PMCID: PMC7969804 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2021.584684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
There is mounting evidence linking the cumulative effects of repetitive head impacts to neuro-degenerative conditions. Robust clinical assessment tools to identify mild traumatic brain injuries are needed to assist with timely diagnosis for return-to-field decisions and appropriately guide rehabilitation. The focus of the present study is to investigate the potential for oculomotor features to complement existing diagnostic tools, such as measurements of Optic Nerve Sheath Diameter (ONSD) and Immediate Post-concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT). Thirty-one high school American football and soccer athletes were tracked through the course of a sports season. Given the high risk of repetitive head impacts associated with both soccer and football, our hypotheses were that (1) ONSD and ImPACT scores would worsen through the season and (2) oculomotor features would effectively capture both neurophysiological changes reflected by ONSD and neuro-functional status assessed via ImPACT. Oculomotor features were used as input to Linear Mixed-Effects Regression models to predict ONSD and ImPACT scores as outcomes. Prediction accuracy was evaluated to identify explicit relationships between eye movements, ONSD, and ImPACT scores. Significant Pearson correlations were observed between predicted and actual outcomes for ONSD (Raw = 0.70; Normalized = 0.45) and for ImPACT (Raw = 0.86; Normalized = 0.71), demonstrating the capability of oculomotor features to capture neurological changes detected by both ONSD and ImPACT. The most predictive features were found to relate to motor control and visual-motor processing. In future work, oculomotor models, linking neural structures to oculomotor function, can be built to gain extended mechanistic insights into neurophysiological changes observed through seasons of participation in contact sports.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hrishikesh M Rao
- Human Health & Performance Systems Group, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington, MA, United States
| | - Sophia Yuditskaya
- Human Health & Performance Systems Group, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington, MA, United States
| | - James R Williamson
- Human Health & Performance Systems Group, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington, MA, United States
| | - Trina R Vian
- Counter-Weapons of Mass Destruction Systems Group, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington, MA, United States
| | - Joseph J Lacirignola
- Counter-Weapons of Mass Destruction Systems Group, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington, MA, United States
| | - Trey E Shenk
- Advanced Radio Frequency Techniques & Systems Group, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington, MA, United States
| | - Thomas M Talavage
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States.,Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Kristin J Heaton
- Military Performance Division, U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Natick, MA, United States
| | - Thomas F Quatieri
- Human Health & Performance Systems Group, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington, MA, United States
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Verduyn C, Bjerke M, Duerinck J, Engelborghs S, Peers K, Versijpt J, D'haeseleer M. CSF and Blood Neurofilament Levels in Athletes Participating in Physical Contact Sports: A Systematic Review. Neurology 2021; 96:705-715. [PMID: 33637627 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000011750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate whether participating in physical contact sports is associated with a release of neurofilaments and whether such release is related to future clinical neurologic and/or psychiatric impairment. METHODS We performed a systematic review of the PubMed, MEDLINE, and Cochrane Library databases using a combination of the search terms neurofilament(s)/intermediate filament and sport(s)/athletes. Original studies, written in English, reporting on neurofilaments in CSF and/or serum/plasma of contact sport athletes were included. This review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Analyses guidelines. RESULTS Eighteen studies in 8 different contact sports (i.e., boxing, American football, ice hockey, soccer, mixed martial arts, lacrosse, rugby, and wrestling) matched our criteria. Elevated light chain neurofilament (NfL) levels were described in 13/18 cohorts. Most compelling evidence was present in boxing and American football, where exposure-related increases were appreciable at the intraindividual level (up to 4.1- and 2.0-fold, respectively) in well-defined groups. Differences in exposure severity (including previous cumulative effects), sampling/measurement time points (with regard to expected peak values), and definitions of the baseline setting are considered as main contributors to the variability in findings. No studies were encountered that have investigated the relationship with the targeted clinical end points; therefore no NfL cutoffs exist that are associated with a poor outcome. CONCLUSION NfL release can be seen, as a potential marker of neuronal brain damage, in participants of physical contact sports, particularly boxing and American football. The exact significance regarding the risk for future clinical impairment remains to be elucidated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carl Verduyn
- From the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (C.V., K.P.), Universitair Ziekenhuis Leuven; Katholieke Universiteit Leuven; Center for Neurosciences (M.B., J.D., S.E., J.V., M.D.), Vrije Universiteit Brussel; Reference Center for Biological Markers of Dementia (M.B., S.E.), Institute Born-Bunge, Universiteit Antwerpen; Neurochemistry Laboratory (M.B.), Department of Clinical Biology, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel; Department of Neurosurgery (J.D.), Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel; Department of Neurology (S.E., J.V., M.D.), Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel; and Nationaal Multiple Sclerose Centrum (M.D.); Melsbroek, Belgium.
| | - Maria Bjerke
- From the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (C.V., K.P.), Universitair Ziekenhuis Leuven; Katholieke Universiteit Leuven; Center for Neurosciences (M.B., J.D., S.E., J.V., M.D.), Vrije Universiteit Brussel; Reference Center for Biological Markers of Dementia (M.B., S.E.), Institute Born-Bunge, Universiteit Antwerpen; Neurochemistry Laboratory (M.B.), Department of Clinical Biology, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel; Department of Neurosurgery (J.D.), Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel; Department of Neurology (S.E., J.V., M.D.), Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel; and Nationaal Multiple Sclerose Centrum (M.D.); Melsbroek, Belgium
| | - Johnny Duerinck
- From the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (C.V., K.P.), Universitair Ziekenhuis Leuven; Katholieke Universiteit Leuven; Center for Neurosciences (M.B., J.D., S.E., J.V., M.D.), Vrije Universiteit Brussel; Reference Center for Biological Markers of Dementia (M.B., S.E.), Institute Born-Bunge, Universiteit Antwerpen; Neurochemistry Laboratory (M.B.), Department of Clinical Biology, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel; Department of Neurosurgery (J.D.), Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel; Department of Neurology (S.E., J.V., M.D.), Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel; and Nationaal Multiple Sclerose Centrum (M.D.); Melsbroek, Belgium
| | - Sebastiaan Engelborghs
- From the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (C.V., K.P.), Universitair Ziekenhuis Leuven; Katholieke Universiteit Leuven; Center for Neurosciences (M.B., J.D., S.E., J.V., M.D.), Vrije Universiteit Brussel; Reference Center for Biological Markers of Dementia (M.B., S.E.), Institute Born-Bunge, Universiteit Antwerpen; Neurochemistry Laboratory (M.B.), Department of Clinical Biology, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel; Department of Neurosurgery (J.D.), Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel; Department of Neurology (S.E., J.V., M.D.), Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel; and Nationaal Multiple Sclerose Centrum (M.D.); Melsbroek, Belgium
| | - Koenraad Peers
- From the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (C.V., K.P.), Universitair Ziekenhuis Leuven; Katholieke Universiteit Leuven; Center for Neurosciences (M.B., J.D., S.E., J.V., M.D.), Vrije Universiteit Brussel; Reference Center for Biological Markers of Dementia (M.B., S.E.), Institute Born-Bunge, Universiteit Antwerpen; Neurochemistry Laboratory (M.B.), Department of Clinical Biology, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel; Department of Neurosurgery (J.D.), Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel; Department of Neurology (S.E., J.V., M.D.), Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel; and Nationaal Multiple Sclerose Centrum (M.D.); Melsbroek, Belgium
| | - Jan Versijpt
- From the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (C.V., K.P.), Universitair Ziekenhuis Leuven; Katholieke Universiteit Leuven; Center for Neurosciences (M.B., J.D., S.E., J.V., M.D.), Vrije Universiteit Brussel; Reference Center for Biological Markers of Dementia (M.B., S.E.), Institute Born-Bunge, Universiteit Antwerpen; Neurochemistry Laboratory (M.B.), Department of Clinical Biology, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel; Department of Neurosurgery (J.D.), Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel; Department of Neurology (S.E., J.V., M.D.), Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel; and Nationaal Multiple Sclerose Centrum (M.D.); Melsbroek, Belgium
| | - Miguel D'haeseleer
- From the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (C.V., K.P.), Universitair Ziekenhuis Leuven; Katholieke Universiteit Leuven; Center for Neurosciences (M.B., J.D., S.E., J.V., M.D.), Vrije Universiteit Brussel; Reference Center for Biological Markers of Dementia (M.B., S.E.), Institute Born-Bunge, Universiteit Antwerpen; Neurochemistry Laboratory (M.B.), Department of Clinical Biology, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel; Department of Neurosurgery (J.D.), Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel; Department of Neurology (S.E., J.V., M.D.), Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel; and Nationaal Multiple Sclerose Centrum (M.D.); Melsbroek, Belgium
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Effect of subconcussive impacts on functional outcomes over a single collegiate football season. JOURNAL OF CONCUSSION 2020. [DOI: 10.1177/2059700220983165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Context In collision sports, particularly American football, athletes can accumulate thousands of subconcussive impacts, or head acceleration events (HAEs), across a single season; however, the short-term consequences of these impacts are not well understood. Objective To investigate the effects of the accumulation of impacts during practices on cognitive functions over a single football season. Design Prospective observational study. Setting Athletic training room and University laboratory. Participants Twenty-three NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision players. Main outcome measures Helmet accelerometers during practices and virtual reality testing (VR; balance, reaction time, spatial memory) before and after the season. Results Preseason had the majority of ≥80 G impacts while during the season had the majority of ≥25 G to <80 G impacts and positional differences showed that linemen had the majority of both types. Virtual reality analysis revealed that scores significantly decreased after the season for spatial navigation ( p < 0.05) but not for balance or reaction time. Significant correlations ( p < 0.05) were found between cognitive measures and player demographic variables. Conclusions Even in the absence of clinical symptoms and concussion diagnosis, repetitive impacts may cause cognitive alterations. Documenting the distribution of impact quantity and intensity as a function of time and position may be considered by coaches and clinicians to reduce the accumulation of impacts in athletes exposed in contact sports.
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50
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Balagopal R, Won M, Patel SS, Chuang AZ, Sereno AB. Heading-Related Slowing by Twenty-Four Hours in Youth Athletes. J Neurotrauma 2020; 37:2664-2673. [PMID: 32799741 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2020.7085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Research suggests cumulative effects of repetitive head impacts (RHIs) on brain structure, especially with younger age of first exposure. Further, recent evidence suggests no immediate cognitive changes with increased RHIs but impairments across a sports season. The aim was to examine more closely the short-term time course of behavioral effects of exposure to RHI. Across 2 years, 18 female adolescent soccer players were tested on ProPoint (sensorimotor) and AntiPoint (cognitive) tasks with reaction time (RT) being the main outcome measure. The athletes were tested before and after workout with ball heading (immediate effect), as well as 24 h after workout (24 h effect) throughout two consecutive seasons. The number of headers performed 24 h before workout, during workout, and season average per workout were recorded. The athletes showed a decrease in ProPoint and AntiPoint RTs immediately after a workout, with no change or decrease in RTs with increasing RHIs. However, increasing RHIs during workout increased RTs in both tasks when tested 24 h later. The athletes also showed an increase in AntiPoint RTs with increasing season average RHIs. Our findings show a complex time course of effects of RHIs on sensorimotor and cognitive performance in adolescent athletes, with exposure to RHIs associated with no change or immediate benefits and then deficits by 24 h. Pathophysiological changes associated with exercise and traumatic brain injury can account for the sensorimotor and cognitive performance changes occurring within 24 h after RHIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radhika Balagopal
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, McGovern Medical School, UTHealth, Houston, Texas, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Michelle Won
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, McGovern Medical School, UTHealth, Houston, Texas, USA.,Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Texas A&M College of Medicine, Bryan, Texas, USA
| | - Saumil S Patel
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, McGovern Medical School, UTHealth, Houston, Texas, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Alice Z Chuang
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, McGovern Medical School, UTHealth, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Anne B Sereno
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, McGovern Medical School, UTHealth, Houston, Texas, USA.,Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA.,Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
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