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Urbanik A, Guz W, Brożyna M, Ostrogórska M. Changes in the central nervous system in football players: an MRI study. Acta Radiol 2024; 65:967-974. [PMID: 38767036 DOI: 10.1177/02841851241248410] [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: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Football (soccer) is the world's most popular team sport. PURPOSE To comprehensively examine the brain in football (soccer) players, with the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study involved 65 football players and 62 controls. The MR examinations were performed using MR 1.5-T system (Optima MR 360; GE Medical Systems). The examinations were carried out in the 3D Bravo, CUBE, FSEpropeller, and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) sequences. The 1HMRS signal was obtained from the volume of interest in the frontal and occipital lobes on both sides. RESULTS The present study, based on structural MRI, shows some changes in the brains of the group of football players. The findings show asymmetry of the ventricular system in four football players, arachnoid cysts in the parieto-occipital region, and pineal cysts. NAA/Cr concentration in the right frontal lobe was lower in the football players than in the controls, and the Glx/Cr concentration in the right occipital lobe was higher. The apparent diffusion coefficient value is lower in football players in the occipital lobes. CONCLUSION Playing football can cause measurable changes in the brain, known to occur in patients diagnosed with traumatic brain injury. The present findings fill the gap in the literature by contributing evidence showing that playing football may lead to changes in the brain, without clinical symptoms of concussion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrzej Urbanik
- Department of Radiology, Collegium Medicum, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Wiesław Guz
- Institute of Medical Sciences, College of Medical Sciences, University of Rzeszów, Rzeszów, Poland
| | - Maciej Brożyna
- Institute of Physical Culture Sciences, College of Medical Sciences, University of Rzeszów, Rzeszów, Poland
| | - Monika Ostrogórska
- Department of Radiology, Collegium Medicum, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
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Gard A, Kornaropoulos EN, Portonova Wernersson M, Rorsman I, Blennow K, Zetterberg H, Tegner Y, De Maio A, Markenroth Bloch K, Björkman-Burtscher I, Pessah-Rasmussen H, Nilsson M, Marklund N. Widespread White Matter Abnormalities in Concussed Athletes Detected by 7T Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging. J Neurotrauma 2024; 41:1533-1549. [PMID: 38481124 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2023.0099] [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: 05/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Sports-related concussions may cause white matter injuries and persistent post-concussive symptoms (PPCS). We hypothesized that athletes with PPCS would have neurocognitive impairments and white matter abnormalities that could be revealed by advanced neuroimaging using ultra-high field strength diffusion tensor (DTI) and diffusion kurtosis (DKI) imaging metrics and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers. A cohort of athletes with PPCS severity limiting the ability to work/study and participate in sport school and/or social activities for ≥6 months completed 7T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (morphological T1-weighed volumetry, DTI and DKI), extensive neuropsychological testing, symptom rating, and CSF biomarker sampling. Twenty-two athletes with PPCS and 22 controls were included. Concussed athletes performed below norms and significantly lower than controls on all but one of the psychometric neuropsychology tests. Supratentorial white and gray matter, as well as hippocampal volumes did not differ between concussed athletes and controls. However, of the 72 examined white matter tracts, 16% of DTI and 35% of DKI metrics (in total 28%) were significantly different between concussed athletes and controls. DKI fractional anisotropy and axial kurtosis were increased, and DKI radial diffusivity and radial kurtosis decreased in concussed athletes when compared with controls. CSF neurofilament light (NfL; an axonal injury marker), although not glial fibrillary acidic protein, correlated with several diffusion metrics. In this first 7T DTI and DKI study investigating PPCS, widespread microstructural alterations were observed in the white matter, correlating with CSF markers of axonal injury. More white matter changes were observed using DKI than using DTI. These white matter alterations may indicate persistent pathophysiological processes following concussion in sport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Gard
- Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Neurosurgery, Neurology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Evgenios N Kornaropoulos
- Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Diagnostic Radiology, Neurology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Maria Portonova Wernersson
- Department of Neurology, Rehabilitation Medicine, Memory Disorders and Geriatrics, Skåne University Hospital, Neurology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Ia Rorsman
- Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Neurology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Kaj Blennow
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden
| | - Henrik Zetterberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, 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
| | - Yelverton Tegner
- Department of Health, Education and Technology, Division of Health and Rehabilitation, Luleå University of Technology, Luleå, Sweden
| | - Alessandro De Maio
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences. Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Karin Markenroth Bloch
- Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Lund University Bioimaging Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Isabella Björkman-Burtscher
- Department of Radiology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Hélène Pessah-Rasmussen
- Department of Neurology, Rehabilitation Medicine, Memory Disorders and Geriatrics, Skåne University Hospital, Neurology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Neurology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Markus Nilsson
- Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Diagnostic Radiology, Neurology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Niklas Marklund
- Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Neurosurgery, Lund University, and Skåne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden
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3
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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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Barnes-Wood M, McCloskey H, Connelly S, Gilchrist MD, Annaidh AN, Theobald PS. Investigation of Head Kinematics and Brain Strain Response During Soccer Heading Using a Custom-Fit Instrumented Mouthguard. Ann Biomed Eng 2024; 52:934-945. [PMID: 38243139 PMCID: PMC10940496 DOI: 10.1007/s10439-023-03430-8] [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: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
Association football, also known as soccer in some regions, is unique in encouraging its participants to intentionally use their head to gain a competitive advantage, including scoring a goal. Repetitive head impacts are now being increasingly linked to an inflated risk of developing long-term neurodegenerative disease. This study investigated the effect of heading passes from different distances, using head acceleration data and finite element modelling to estimate brain injury risk. Seven university-level participants wore a custom-fitted instrumented mouthguard to capture linear and angular acceleration-time data. They performed 10 headers within a laboratory environment, from a combination of short, medium, and long passes. Kinematic data was then used to calculate peak linear acceleration, peak angular velocity, and peak angular acceleration as well as two brain injury metrics: head injury criterion and rotational injury criterion. Six degrees of freedom acceleration-time data were also inputted into a widely accepted finite element brain model to estimate strain-response using mean peak strain and cumulative strain damage measure values. Five headers were considered to have a 25% concussion risk. Mean peak linear acceleration equalled 26 ± 7.9 g, mean peak angular velocity 7.20 ± 2.18 rad/s, mean peak angular acceleration 1730 ± 611 rad/s2, and 95th percentile mean peak strain 0.0962 ± 0.252. Some of these data were similar to brain injury metrics reported from American football, which supports the need for further investigation into soccer heading.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Barnes-Wood
- Cardiff School of Engineering, Cardiff University, The Parade, Cardiff, CF24 3AA, UK
- Charles Owen & Co, Croesfoel Industrial Park, Wrexham, LL14 4BJ, UK
| | - H McCloskey
- Cardiff School of Engineering, Cardiff University, The Parade, Cardiff, CF24 3AA, UK
- Charles Owen & Co, Croesfoel Industrial Park, Wrexham, LL14 4BJ, UK
| | - S Connelly
- Football Association of Wales (FIFA Medical Centre of Excellence), Hensol, Pontyclun, CF72 8JY, UK
| | - M D Gilchrist
- School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - A Ni Annaidh
- School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - P S Theobald
- Cardiff School of Engineering, Cardiff University, The Parade, Cardiff, CF24 3AA, UK.
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Glendon K, Pain MTG, Hogervorst E, Belli A, Blenkinsop G. Musculoskeletal injury or Sports-Related Concussion (SRC) in a season of rugby union does not affect performance on concussion battery testing in university-aged student-athletes. Phys Ther Sport 2024; 65:137-144. [PMID: 38181564 DOI: 10.1016/j.ptsp.2023.12.005] [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: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sub-concussive and concussive impacts sustained during contact sports such as rugby may affect neurocognitive performance, vestibular-ocular-motor function, symptom burden and academic ability. METHOD Student-athletes (n = 146) participating in rugby union British Universities or domestic competitions were assessed on the Immediate Post-Concussion and Cognitive Test, Post-Concussion Symptom Scale, vestibular-oculo-motor screening tool and revised perceived academic impact tool. Individual change from pre-season (July-September 2021) to 2-weeks following last exposure to contact (April-July 2022) was analysed. RESULTS Symptom burden significantly worsened (p=0.016) over the season. Significant improvements on verbal memory (p=0.016), visual memory (p=0.008) and motor processing speed (p=0.001) suggest a possible learning effect. Surprisingly, the number of days lost to concussion significantly and positively affected performance on verbal memory (p = 0.018) and reaction time (p = 0.027). Previous concussive events significantly predicted a worsening in symptom burden (p < 0.028), as did in-season concussive events, predicting improved verbal memory (p = 0.033) and symptom burden change (p = 0.047). Baseline performance significantly affected change on several neurocognitive tests, with low-scorers showing more improvement over the season. CONCLUSION Participation in rugby union was not associated with deleterious effects on brain function. Previous concussive events and in-season factors, possibly related to learning effects, may explain improvement in cognitive function across the season.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Glendon
- School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK.
| | - M T G Pain
- School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK
| | - E Hogervorst
- School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK
| | - A Belli
- Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, University of Birmingham, UK
| | - G Blenkinsop
- School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK.
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Mayer AR, Meier TB, Ling JM, Dodd AB, Brett BL, Robertson-Benta CR, Huber DL, Van der Horn HJ, Broglio SP, McCrea MA, McAllister T. Increased brain age and relationships with blood-based biomarkers following concussion in younger populations. J Neurol 2023; 270:5835-5848. [PMID: 37594499 PMCID: PMC10632216 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-023-11931-8] [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: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Brain age is increasingly being applied to the spectrum of brain injury to define neuropathological changes in conjunction with blood-based biomarkers. However, data from the acute/sub-acute stages of concussion are lacking, especially among younger cohorts. METHODS Predicted brain age differences were independently calculated in large, prospectively recruited cohorts of pediatric concussion and matched healthy controls (total N = 446), as well as collegiate athletes with sport-related concussion and matched non-contact sport controls (total N = 184). Effects of repetitive head injury (i.e., exposure) were examined in a separate cohort of contact sport athletes (N = 82), as well as by quantifying concussion history through semi-structured interviews and years of contact sport participation. RESULTS Findings of increased brain age during acute and sub-acute concussion were independently replicated across both cohorts, with stronger evidence of recovery for pediatric (4 months) relative to concussed athletes (6 months). Mixed evidence existed for effects of repetitive head injury, as brain age was increased in contact sport athletes, but was not associated with concussion history or years of contact sport exposure. There was no difference in brain age between concussed and contact sport athletes. Total tau decreased immediately (~ 1.5 days) post-concussion relative to the non-contact group, whereas pro-inflammatory markers were increased in both concussed and contact sport athletes. Anti-inflammatory markers were inversely related to brain age, whereas markers of axonal injury (neurofilament light) exhibited a trend positive association. CONCLUSION Current and previous findings collectively suggest that the chronicity of brain age differences may be mediated by age at injury (adults > children), with preliminary findings suggesting that exposure to contact sports may also increase brain age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew R Mayer
- The Mind Research Network/Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute, 1101 Yale Blvd. NE, Albuquerque, NM, 87106, USA.
- Neurology and Psychiatry Departments, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
| | - Timothy B Meier
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Josef M Ling
- The Mind Research Network/Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute, 1101 Yale Blvd. NE, Albuquerque, NM, 87106, USA
| | - Andrew B Dodd
- The Mind Research Network/Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute, 1101 Yale Blvd. NE, Albuquerque, NM, 87106, USA
| | - Benjamin L Brett
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
- Department of Neurology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Cidney R Robertson-Benta
- The Mind Research Network/Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute, 1101 Yale Blvd. NE, Albuquerque, NM, 87106, USA
| | - Daniel L Huber
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Harm J Van der Horn
- The Mind Research Network/Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute, 1101 Yale Blvd. NE, Albuquerque, NM, 87106, USA
| | - Steven P Broglio
- Michigan Concussion Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Michael A McCrea
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
- Department of Neurology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Thomas McAllister
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Bloomington, IN, USA
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Urban JE, Filben TM, Zoch SR, Stewart Pritchard N, Mason DR, Miles CM, Stitzel JD. Integrating biomechanics with stakeholder perspectives to inform safety in grassroots dirt track racing. ACCIDENT; ANALYSIS AND PREVENTION 2023; 192:107254. [PMID: 37557000 DOI: 10.1016/j.aap.2023.107254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
Grassroots dirt track racing is a foundational part of motorsports with a high risk of severe injury. This study aimed to gather perspectives and experiences of motorsports drivers surrounding safety and head acceleration events experienced during grassroots dirt track racing to inform strategies to improve driver safety. Thirteen drivers (n=9 who primarily race on dirt tracks; n=4 who primarily race on pavement tracks) with prior dirt track racing experience participated in separate, group-specific focus groups and/or one-on-one interviews where video, simulations of head motion, and head acceleration data were shared. Peak kinematics of laps and crash contact scenarios were recorded, and head perturbations (i.e., deviations in head motion relative to its moving-average trajectory) were quantified for each lap and presented through guided discussion. Responses were summarized using Rapid Assessment Process. Audio recordings and field notes were collected from focus groups and interviews and analyzed across 25 domains. Drivers described dirt track racing as short, fast bursts of racing. Benefits of dirt track racing for driver development were described, including learning car control. Drivers acknowledged risks of racing and expressed confidence in safety equipment but identified areas for improvement. Drivers observed lateral bouncing of the head in video and simulations but recognized that such motions were not noticed while racing. Track conditions and track type were identified as factors influencing head perturbations. Mean PLA (5.5 g) and PRV (3.07 rad/s) of perturbations experienced during racing laps and perturbation frequencies of 5 and 7 perturbations per second were reported. Generally, drivers accurately estimated the head acceleration magnitudes but were surprised by the frequency and maximum magnitude of perturbations. Maximum perturbation magnitudes (26.8 g and 19.0 rad/s) were attributed to hitting a "rut" in the dirt. Drivers described sudden stops, vertical loads due to landing from a large height, and impacts to the vehicle frame as crash events they physically feel the most. Summary statistics for crashes (medians = 7.30 g, 6.94 rad/s) were reported. Typical impact magnitudes measured in other sports (e.g., football) were provided for context. Upon reviewing the biomechanics, drivers were surprised that crash accelerations were relatively low compared to other contact/collision sports. Pavement drivers noted limited safety features in dirt track racing compared to pavement, including rigidity of vehicle frames, seat structure, seatbelt integration, and lack of oversight from sanctioning bodies. Most drivers felt seat inserts and head and neck restraints are important for injury prevention; however, usage of seat inserts and preferred head and neck restraint system differed among drivers. Drivers described their perspectives and experiences related to safety and identified strategies to improve safety in grassroots dirt track racing. Drivers expressed support for future safety research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jillian E Urban
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Wake Forest School of Medicine, United States; School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Virginia Tech - Wake Forest University, United States.
| | - Tanner M Filben
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Wake Forest School of Medicine, United States; School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Virginia Tech - Wake Forest University, United States
| | - Sophia R Zoch
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Wake Forest School of Medicine, United States; School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Virginia Tech - Wake Forest University, United States
| | - N Stewart Pritchard
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Wake Forest School of Medicine, United States; School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Virginia Tech - Wake Forest University, United States
| | - Destiny R Mason
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Wake Forest School of Medicine, United States; School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Virginia Tech - Wake Forest University, United States
| | - Christopher M Miles
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Wake Forest School of Medicine, United States; Department of Family and Community Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, United States
| | - Joel D Stitzel
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Wake Forest School of Medicine, United States; School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Virginia Tech - Wake Forest University, United States
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McAlister KL, Mack WJ, Bir C, Baron DA, Som C, Li K, Chavarria-Garcia A, Sawardekar S, Baron D, Toth Z, Allem C, Beatty N, Nakayama J, Kelln R, Zaslow T, Bansal R, Peterson BS. Longitudinal, prospective study of head impacts in male high school football players. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0291374. [PMID: 37682984 PMCID: PMC10490840 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0291374] [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: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Repetitive, subconcussive events may adversely affect the brain and cognition during sensitive periods of development. Prevention of neurocognitive consequences of concussion in high school football is therefore an important public health priority. We aimed to identify the player positions and demographic, behavioral, cognitive, and impact characteristics that predict the frequency and acceleration of head impacts in high school football players. METHODS In this prospective study, three cohorts of adolescent male athletes (N = 53, 28.3% Hispanic) were recruited over three successive seasons in a high school American football program. Demographic and cognitive functioning were assessed at baseline prior to participating in football. Helmet sensors recorded impact frequency and acceleration. Each head impact was captured on film from five different angles. Research staff verified and characterized on-field impacts. Player-level Poisson regressions and year-level and impact-level linear mixed-effect models were used to determine demographic, behavioral, cognitive, and impact characteristics as predictors of impact frequency and acceleration. RESULTS 4,678 valid impacts were recorded. Impact frequency positively associated with baseline symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsivity [β(SE) = 1.05 impacts per year per unit of symptom severity (1.00), p = 0.01] and inattentiveness [β(SE) = 1.003 impacts per year per T-score unit (1.001), p = 0.01]. Compared to quarterbacks, the highest acceleration impacts were sustained by kickers/punters [β(SE) = 21.5 g's higher (7.1), p = 0.002], kick/punt returners [β(SE) = 9.3 g's higher (4.4), p = 0.03], and defensive backs [β(SE) = 4.9 g's higher (2.5), p = 0.05]. Impacts were more frequent in the second [β(SE) = 33.4 impacts (14.2), p = 0.02)] and third [β(SE) = 50.9 impacts (20.1), p = 0.01] year of play. Acceleration was highest in top-of-the-head impacts [β(SE) = 4.4 g's higher (0.8), p<0.001]. CONCLUSION Including screening questions for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in pre-participation evaluations can help identify a subset of prospective football players who may be at risk for increased head impacts. Position-specific strategies to modify kickoffs and correct tackling and blocking may also reduce impact burden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey L. McAlister
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Wendy J. Mack
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Cynthia Bir
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States of America
| | - David A. Baron
- Western University, Pomona, CA, United States of America
| | - Christine Som
- Institute for the Developing Mind, Children’s Hospital, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Karen Li
- Institute for the Developing Mind, Children’s Hospital, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Anthony Chavarria-Garcia
- Institute for the Developing Mind, Children’s Hospital, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Siddhant Sawardekar
- Institute for the Developing Mind, Children’s Hospital, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - David Baron
- Institute for the Developing Mind, Children’s Hospital, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Zachary Toth
- Institute for the Developing Mind, Children’s Hospital, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Courtney Allem
- Institute for the Developing Mind, Children’s Hospital, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Nicholas Beatty
- Institute for the Developing Mind, Children’s Hospital, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Junko Nakayama
- Crescenta Valley High School, La Crescenta, CA, United States of America
| | - Ryan Kelln
- Institute for the Developing Mind, Children’s Hospital, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Tracy Zaslow
- Institute for the Developing Mind, Children’s Hospital, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Ravi Bansal
- Institute for the Developing Mind, Children’s Hospital, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
- Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Bradley S. Peterson
- Institute for the Developing Mind, Children’s Hospital, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
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9
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Alosco ML, Ly M, Mosaheb S, Saltiel N, Uretsky M, Tripodis Y, Martin B, Palmisano J, Delano-Wood L, Bondi MW, Meng G, Xia W, Daley S, Goldstein LE, Katz DI, Dwyer B, Daneshvar DH, Nowinski C, Cantu RC, Kowall NW, Stern RA, Alvarez VE, Mez J, Huber BR, McKee AC, Stein TD. Decreased myelin proteins in brain donors exposed to football-related repetitive head impacts. Brain Commun 2023; 5:fcad019. [PMID: 36895961 PMCID: PMC9990992 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcad019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
American football players and other individuals exposed to repetitive head impacts can exhibit a constellation of later-life cognitive and neuropsychiatric symptoms. While tau-based diseases such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy can underpin certain symptoms, contributions from non-tau pathologies from repetitive head impacts are increasingly recognized. We examined cross-sectional associations between myelin integrity using immunoassays for myelin-associated glycoprotein and proteolipid protein 1 with risk factors and clinical outcomes in brain donors exposed to repetitive head impacts from American football. Immunoassays for myelin-associated glycoprotein and proteolipid protein 1 were conducted on dorsolateral frontal white matter tissue samples of 205 male brain donors. Proxies of exposure to repetitive head impacts included years of exposure and age of first exposure to American football play. Informants completed the Functional Activities Questionnaire, Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Adult Version (Behavioral Regulation Index), and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11. Associations between myelin-associated glycoprotein and proteolipid protein 1 with exposure proxies and clinical scales were tested. Of the 205 male brain donors who played amateur and professional football, the mean age was 67.17 (SD = 16.78), and 75.9% (n = 126) were reported by informants to be functionally impaired prior to death. Myelin-associated glycoprotein and proteolipid protein 1 correlated with the ischaemic injury scale score, a global indicator of cerebrovascular disease (r = -0.23 and -0.20, respectively, Ps < 0.01). Chronic traumatic encephalopathy was the most common neurodegenerative disease (n = 151, 73.7%). Myelin-associated glycoprotein and proteolipid protein 1 were not associated with chronic traumatic encephalopathy status, but lower proteolipid protein 1 was associated with more severe chronic traumatic encephalopathy (P = 0.03). Myelin-associated glycoprotein and proteolipid protein 1 were not associated with other neurodegenerative disease pathologies. More years of football play was associated with lower proteolipid protein 1 [beta = -2.45, 95% confidence interval (CI) [-4.52, -0.38]] and compared with those who played <11 years of football (n = 78), those who played 11 or more years (n = 128) had lower myelin-associated glycoprotein (mean difference = 46.00, 95% CI [5.32, 86.69]) and proteolipid protein 1 (mean difference = 24.72, 95% CI [2.40, 47.05]). Younger age of first exposure corresponded to lower proteolipid protein 1 (beta = 4.35, 95% CI [0.25, 8.45]). Among brain donors who were aged 50 or older (n = 144), lower proteolipid protein 1 (beta = -0.02, 95% CI [-0.047, -0.001]) and myelin-associated glycoprotein (beta = -0.01, 95% CI [-0.03, -0.002]) were associated with higher Functional Activities Questionnaire scores. Lower myelin-associated glycoprotein correlated with higher Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11 scores (beta = -0.02, 95% CI [-0.04, -0.0003]). Results suggest that decreased myelin may represent a late effect of repetitive head impacts that contributes to the manifestation of cognitive symptoms and impulsivity. Clinical-pathological correlation studies with prospective objective clinical assessments are needed to confirm our findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael L Alosco
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and CTE Center, Department of Neurology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Monica Ly
- Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego Health, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Sydney Mosaheb
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and CTE Center, Department of Neurology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nicole Saltiel
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and CTE Center, Department of Neurology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Madeline Uretsky
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and CTE Center, Department of Neurology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yorghos Tripodis
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Brett Martin
- Biostatistics and Epidemiology Data Analytics Center, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Joseph Palmisano
- Biostatistics and Epidemiology Data Analytics Center, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lisa Delano-Wood
- Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego Health, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Mark W Bondi
- Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego Health, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | | | - Weiming Xia
- VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sarah Daley
- VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lee E Goldstein
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and CTE Center, Department of Neurology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Radiology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Departments of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Departments of Biomedical, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Boston University College of Engineering, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Douglas I Katz
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and CTE Center, Department of Neurology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Braintree Rehabilitation Hospital, Braintree, MA, USA
| | - Brigid Dwyer
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and CTE Center, Department of Neurology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Braintree Rehabilitation Hospital, Braintree, MA, USA
| | - Daniel H Daneshvar
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and CTE Center, Department of Neurology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Robert C Cantu
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and CTE Center, Department of Neurology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Concussion Legacy Foundation, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Emerson Hospital, Concord, MA, USA
| | - Neil W Kowall
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and CTE Center, Department of Neurology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Departments of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, Jamaica Plain, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Robert A Stern
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and CTE Center, Department of Neurology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Victor E Alvarez
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and CTE Center, Department of Neurology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, USA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, Jamaica Plain, Boston, MA, USA
- National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare, Jamaica Plain, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jesse Mez
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and CTE Center, Department of Neurology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Framingham Heart Study, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Bertrand Russell Huber
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and CTE Center, Department of Neurology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, Jamaica Plain, Boston, MA, USA
- National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare, Jamaica Plain, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ann C McKee
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and CTE Center, Department of Neurology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, USA
- Departments of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, Jamaica Plain, Boston, MA, USA
- National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare, Jamaica Plain, Boston, MA, USA
- Framingham Heart Study, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Thor D Stein
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and CTE Center, Department of Neurology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, USA
- Departments of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, Jamaica Plain, Boston, MA, USA
- Framingham Heart Study, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
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10
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Wang Y, Zhou Y, Zhang X, Wang K, Chen X, Cheng H. Orienting network impairment of attention in patients with mild traumatic brain injury. Behav Brain Res 2023; 437:114133. [PMID: 36179805 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.114133] [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: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 09/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The incomplete understanding of mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI)-related cognitive impairment in the acute stage and the low cognitive needs of patients in the later stage might be the main reasons for the neglect of clinical symptoms in patients with MTBI. Patients often experience attention deficits; however, it is unclear whether these patients suffer from general deficits or selective impairment of the brain attention network. Therefore, we investigated deficits in the attention function of patients with mild brain traumatic injury. Patients (n = 50) and matched healthy controls (n = 49) completed a general neuropsychological background test and the Attention Network Test, which provided an independent assessment of the three attention networks (alerting, orienting, and executive control). We found that patients had significant deficits in the orienting network but none in the alerting and executive control networks. Furthermore, patients' cognitive task scores in attention, memory, and information processing tasks were significantly lower than the scores of the controls. Our results demonstrated that patients with MTBI had selective impairment in the orienting network and extensive cognitive impairments, including those related to general attention, memory, and information processing speed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuyang Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China; Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Hefei, China
| | - Yuwei Zhou
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Xinyu Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Funan County People's Hospital, Fuyang, China
| | - Kai Wang
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Hefei, China; Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Xingui Chen
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Hefei, China; Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
| | - Hongwei Cheng
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
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11
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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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12
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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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13
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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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14
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Rowson B, Duma SM. A Review of Head Injury Metrics Used in Automotive Safety and Sports Protective Equipment. J Biomech Eng 2022; 144:1140295. [PMID: 35445266 DOI: 10.1115/1.4054379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Despite advances in the understanding of human tolerances to brain injury, injury metrics used in automotive safety and protective equipment standards have changed little since they were first implemented nearly a half-century ago. Although numerous metrics have been proposed as improvements over the ones currently used, evaluating the predictive capability of these metrics is challenging. The purpose of this review is to summarize existing head injury metrics that have been proposed for both severe head injuries, such as skull fractures and traumatic brain injuries (TBI), and mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI) including concussions. Metrics have been developed based on head kinematics or intracranial parameters such as brain tissue stress and strain. Kinematic metrics are either based on translational motion, rotational motion, or a combination of the two. Tissue-based metrics are based on finite element model simulations or in vitro experiments. This review concludes with a discussion of the limitations of current metrics and how improvements can be made in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bethany Rowson
- Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science (ICTAS), Virginia Tech, 437 Kelly Hall, 325 Stanger Street, Blacksburg, VA 24061
| | - Stefan M Duma
- Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science (ICTAS), Virginia Tech, 410H Kelly Hall, 325 Stanger Street, Blacksburg, VA 24061
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15
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Ji S, Ghajari M, Mao H, Kraft RH, Hajiaghamemar M, Panzer MB, Willinger R, Gilchrist MD, Kleiven S, Stitzel JD. Use of Brain Biomechanical Models for Monitoring Impact Exposure in Contact Sports. Ann Biomed Eng 2022; 50:1389-1408. [PMID: 35867314 PMCID: PMC9652195 DOI: 10.1007/s10439-022-02999-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Head acceleration measurement sensors are now widely deployed in the field to monitor head kinematic exposure in contact sports. The wealth of impact kinematics data provides valuable, yet challenging, opportunities to study the biomechanical basis of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and subconcussive kinematic exposure. Head impact kinematics are translated into brain mechanical responses through physics-based computational simulations using validated brain models to study the mechanisms of injury. First, this article reviews representative legacy and contemporary brain biomechanical models primarily used for blunt impact simulation. Then, it summarizes perspectives regarding the development and validation of these models, and discusses how simulation results can be interpreted to facilitate injury risk assessment and head acceleration exposure monitoring in the context of contact sports. Recommendations and consensus statements are presented on the use of validated brain models in conjunction with kinematic sensor data to understand the biomechanics of mTBI and subconcussion. Mainly, there is general consensus that validated brain models have strong potential to improve injury prediction and interpretation of subconcussive kinematic exposure over global head kinematics alone. Nevertheless, a major roadblock to this capability is the lack of sufficient data encompassing different sports, sex, age and other factors. The authors recommend further integration of sensor data and simulations with modern data science techniques to generate large datasets of exposures and predicted brain responses along with associated clinical findings. These efforts are anticipated to help better understand the biomechanical basis of mTBI and improve the effectiveness in monitoring kinematic exposure in contact sports for risk and injury mitigation purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Songbai Ji
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, USA.
| | - Mazdak Ghajari
- Dyson School of Design Engineering, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Haojie Mao
- Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Western University, London, ON, N6A 5B9, Canada
| | - Reuben H Kraft
- Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Marzieh Hajiaghamemar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Matthew B Panzer
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Remy Willinger
- University of Strasbourg, IMFS-CNRS, 2 rue Boussingault, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Michael D Gilchrist
- School of Mechanical & Materials Engineering, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Svein Kleiven
- Division of Neuronic Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Hälsovägen 11C, 141 57, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Joel D Stitzel
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.
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Consensus Head Acceleration Measurement Practices (CHAMP): Study Design and Statistical Analysis. Ann Biomed Eng 2022; 50:1346-1355. [PMID: 36253602 PMCID: PMC9652215 DOI: 10.1007/s10439-022-03101-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Head impact measurement devices enable opportunities to collect impact data directly from humans to study topics like concussion biomechanics, head impact exposure and its effects, and concussion risk reduction techniques in sports when paired with other relevant data. With recent advances in head impact measurement devices and cost-effective price points, more and more investigators are using them to study brain health questions. However, as the field's literature grows, the variance in study quality is apparent. This brief paper aims to provide a high-level set of key considerations for the design and analysis of head impact measurement studies that can help avoid flaws introduced by sampling biases, false data, missing data, and confounding factors. We discuss key points through four overarching themes: study design, operational management, data quality, and data analysis.
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17
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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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Seifert J, Shah AS, Harezlak J, Rowson S, Mihalik JP, Riggen L, Duma S, Brooks A, Cameron KL, Giza CC, Goldman J, Guskiewicz KM, Houston MN, Jackson JC, McGinty G, Pasquina P, Broglio SP, McAllister TW, McCrea MA, Stemper BD. Time Delta Head Impact Frequency: An Analysis on Head Impact Exposure in the Lead Up to a Concussion: Findings from the NCAA-DOD Care Consortium. Ann Biomed Eng 2022; 50:1473-1487. [PMID: 35933459 PMCID: PMC9652163 DOI: 10.1007/s10439-022-03032-w] [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: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Sport-related concussions can result from a single high magnitude impact that generates concussive symptoms, repeated subconcussive head impacts aggregating to generate concussive symptoms, or a combined effect from the two mechanisms. The array of symptoms produced by these mechanisms may be clinically interpreted as a sport-related concussion. It was hypothesized that head impact exposure resulting in concussion is influenced by severity, total number, and frequency of subconcussive head impacts. The influence of total number and magnitude of impacts was previously explored, but frequency was investigated to a lesser degree. In this analysis, head impact frequency was investigated over a new metric called ‘time delta’, the time difference from the first recorded head impact of the day until the concussive impact. Four exposure metrics were analyzed over the time delta to determine whether frequency of head impact exposure was greater for athletes on their concussion date relative to other dates of contact participation. Those metrics included head impact frequency, head impact accrual rate, risk weighted exposure (RWE), and RWE accrual rate. Athletes experienced an elevated median number of impacts, RWE, and RWE accrual rate over the time delta on their concussion date compared to non-injury sessions. This finding suggests elevated frequency of head impact exposure on the concussion date compared to other dates that may precipitate the onset of concussion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack Seifert
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, Marquette University and Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.,Neuroscience Research Labs, Clement J. Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Research 151, 5000 W. National Ave., Milwaukee, WI, 53295, USA
| | - Alok S Shah
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.,Neuroscience Research Labs, Clement J. Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Research 151, 5000 W. National Ave., Milwaukee, WI, 53295, USA
| | - Jaroslaw Harezlak
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Indiana University School of Public Health, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Steven Rowson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Jason P Mihalik
- Matthew Gfeller Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Larry Riggen
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Indiana University School of Public Health, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Stefan Duma
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Alison Brooks
- Department of Orthopedics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Kenneth L Cameron
- John A. Feagin Jr. Sports Medicine Fellowship, Keller Army Hospital, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY, USA
| | - Christopher C Giza
- Departments of Neurosurgery and Pediatrics, UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program, David Geffem School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Joshua Goldman
- Departments of Neurosurgery and Pediatrics, UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program, David Geffem School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Kevin M Guskiewicz
- Matthew Gfeller Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Megan N Houston
- John A. Feagin Jr. Sports Medicine Fellowship, Keller Army Hospital, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY, USA
| | - Jonathan C Jackson
- Department of Sports Medicine, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO, USA
| | - Gerald McGinty
- Department of Sports Medicine, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO, USA
| | - Paul Pasquina
- Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Steven P Broglio
- Michigan Concussion Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | - Michael A McCrea
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.,Neuroscience Research Labs, Clement J. Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Research 151, 5000 W. National Ave., Milwaukee, WI, 53295, USA
| | - Brian D Stemper
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, Marquette University and Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA. .,Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA. .,Neuroscience Research Labs, Clement J. Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Research 151, 5000 W. National Ave., Milwaukee, WI, 53295, USA.
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19
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Helmet Technology, Head Impact Exposure, and Cortical Thinning Following a Season of High School Football. Ann Biomed Eng 2022; 50:1608-1619. [PMID: 35867315 DOI: 10.1007/s10439-022-03023-x] [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: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of wearing older, lower-ranked football helmets (LRank) to wearing newer, higher-ranked football helmets (HRank) on pre- to post-season changes in cortical thickness in response to repetitive head impacts and assess whether changes in cortical thickness are associated with head impact exposure for either helmet type. 105 male high-school athletes (NHRank = 52, NLRank = 53) wore accelerometers affixed behind the left mastoid during all practices and games for one regular season of American football to monitor head impact exposure. Pre- and post-season magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were completed to assess longitudinal changes in cortical thickness. Significant reductions in cortical thickness (i.e., cortical thinning) were observed pre- to post-season for each group, but these longitudinal alterations were not significantly different between the LRank and HRank groups. Further, significant group-by-head impact exposure interactions were observed when predicting changes in cortical thickness. Specifically, a greater frequency of high magnitude head impacts during the football season resulted in greater cortical thinning for the LRank group, but not for the HRank group. These data provide preliminary in vivo evidence that HRank helmets may provide a buffer between the specific effect of high magnitude head impacts on regional thinning by dissipating forces more evenly throughout the cortex. However, future research with larger sample sizes, increased longitudinal measures and additional helmet technologies is warranted to both expand upon and further validate the present study findings.
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20
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Head Kinematics in Youth Ice Hockey by Player Speed and Impact Direction. J Appl Biomech 2022; 38:201-209. [PMID: 35894976 DOI: 10.1123/jab.2021-0331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Hockey is a fast-paced sport known for body checking, or intentional collisions used to separate opponents from the puck. Exposure to these impacts is concerning, as evidence suggests head impact exposure (HIE), even if noninjurious, can cause long-term brain changes. Currently, there is limited understanding of the effect of impact direction and collision speed on HIE. Video analysis was used to determine speed and direction for 162 collisions from 13 youth athletes. These data were paired with head kinematic data collected with an instrumented mouthpiece. Relationships between peak resultant head kinematics and speeds were evaluated with linear regression. Mean athlete speeds and relative velocity between athletes ranged from 2.05 to 2.76 m/s. Mean peak resultant linear acceleration, rotational velocity, and rotational acceleration were 13.1 g, 10.5 rad/s, and 1112 rad/s2, respectively. Significant relationships between speeds and head kinematics emerged when stratified by contact characteristics. HIE also varied by direction of collision; most collisions occurred in the forward-oblique (ie, offset from center) direction; frontal collisions had the greatest magnitude peak kinematics. These findings indicate that HIE in youth hockey is influenced by speed and direction of impact. This study may inform future strategies to reduce the severity of HIE in hockey.
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21
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Basinas I, McElvenny DM, Pearce N, Gallo V, Cherrie JW. A Systematic Review of Head Impacts and Acceleration Associated with Soccer. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:5488. [PMID: 35564889 PMCID: PMC9100160 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19095488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Revised: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Epidemiological studies of the neurological health of former professional soccer players are being undertaken to identify whether heading the ball is a risk factor for disease or premature death. A quantitative estimate of exposure to repeated sub-concussive head impacts would provide an opportunity to investigate possible exposure-response relationships. However, it is unclear how to formulate an appropriate exposure metric within the context of epidemiological studies. We have carried out a systematic review of the scientific literature to identify the factors that determine the magnitude of head impact acceleration during experiments and from observations during playing or training for soccer, up to the end of November 2021. Data were extracted from 33 experimental and 27 observational studies from male and female amateur players including both adults and children. There was a high correlation between peak linear and angular accelerations in the observational studies (p < 0.001) although the correlation was lower for the experimental data. We chose to rely on an analysis of maximum or peak linear acceleration for this review. Differences in measurement methodology were identified as important determinants of measured acceleration, and we concluded that only data from accelerometers fixed to the head provided reliable information about the magnitude of head acceleration from soccer-related impacts. Exposures differed between men and women and between children and adults, with women on average experiencing higher acceleration but less frequent impacts. Playing position appears to have some influence on the number of heading impacts but less so on the magnitude of the head acceleration. Head-to-head collisions result in high levels of exposure and thus probably risk causing a concussion. We concluded, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, that estimates of the cumulative number of heading impacts over a playing career should be used as the main exposure metric in epidemiological studies of professional players.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioannis Basinas
- Institute of Occupational Medicine, Research Avenue North, Edinburgh EH14 4AP, UK; (I.B.); (D.M.M.)
- Division of Population Health, Health Services Research & Primary Care, Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Damien M. McElvenny
- Institute of Occupational Medicine, Research Avenue North, Edinburgh EH14 4AP, UK; (I.B.); (D.M.M.)
- Division of Population Health, Health Services Research & Primary Care, Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Neil Pearce
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK;
| | - Valentina Gallo
- Campus Fryslân, University of Groningen, 8911 CE Leeuwarden, The Netherlands;
| | - John W. Cherrie
- Institute of Occupational Medicine, Research Avenue North, Edinburgh EH14 4AP, UK; (I.B.); (D.M.M.)
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, UK
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22
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Head Impact Kinematics and Brain Deformation in Paired Opposing Youth Football Players. J Appl Biomech 2022; 38:136-147. [PMID: 35483702 DOI: 10.1123/jab.2021-0098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Head impact exposure is often quantified using peak resultant kinematics. While kinematics describes the inertial response of the brain to impact, they do not fully capture the dynamic brain response. Strain, a measure of the tissue-level response of the brain, may be a better predictor of injury. In this study, kinematic and strain metrics were compared to contact characteristics in youth football. Players on 2 opposing teams were instrumented with head impact sensors to record impact kinematics. Video was collected to identify contact scenarios involving opposing instrumented players (ie, paired contact scenarios) and code contact characteristics (eg, player role, impact location). A previously validated, high-resolution brain finite element model, the atlas-based brain model, was used to simulate head impacts and calculate strain metrics. Fifty-two paired contact scenarios (n = 105 impacts) were evaluated. Lighter players tended to have greater biomechanical metrics compared to heavier players. Impacts to the top of the helmet were associated with lower strain metrics. Overall, strain was better correlated with rotational kinematics, suggesting these metrics may be better predictors of the tissue-level brain response than linear kinematics. Understanding the effect of contact characteristics on brain strain will inform future efforts to improve sport safety.
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23
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Miller LE, Urban JE, Espeland MA, Walkup MP, Holcomb JM, Davenport EM, Powers AK, Whitlow CT, Maldjian JA, Stitzel JD. Cumulative strain-based metrics for predicting subconcussive head impact exposure-related imaging changes in a cohort of American youth football players. J Neurosurg Pediatr 2022; 29:387-396. [PMID: 35061991 PMCID: PMC9404368 DOI: 10.3171/2021.10.peds21355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Youth football athletes are exposed to repetitive subconcussive head impacts during normal participation in the sport, and there is increasing concern about the long-term effects of these impacts. The objective of the current study was to determine if strain-based cumulative exposure measures are superior to kinematic-based exposure measures for predicting imaging changes in the brain. METHODS This prospective, longitudinal cohort study was conducted from 2012 to 2017 and assessed youth, male football athletes. Kinematic data were collected at all practices and games from enrolled athletes participating in local youth football organizations in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and were used to calculate multiple risk-weighted cumulative exposure (RWE) kinematic metrics and 36 strain-based exposure metrics. Pre- and postseason imaging was performed at Wake Forest School of Medicine, and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) measures, including fractional anisotropy (FA), and its components (CL, CP, and CS), and mean diffusivity (MD), were investigated. Included participants were youth football players ranging in age from 9 to 13 years. Exclusion criteria included any history of previous neurological illness, psychiatric illness, brain tumor, concussion within the past 6 months, and/or contraindication to MRI. RESULTS A total of 95 male athletes (mean age 11.9 years [SD 1.0 years]) participated between 2012 and 2017, with some participating for multiple seasons, resulting in 116 unique athlete-seasons. Regression analysis revealed statistically significant linear relationships between the FA, linear coefficient (CL), and spherical coefficient (CS) and all strain exposure measures, and well as the planar coefficient (CP) and 8 strain measures. For the kinematic exposure measures, there were statistically significant relationships between FA and RWE linear (RWEL) and RWE combined probability (RWECP) as well as CS and RWEL. According to area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) analysis, the best-performing metrics were all strain measures, and included metrics based on tensile, compressive, and shear strain. CONCLUSIONS Using ROC curves and AUC analysis, all exposure metrics were ranked in order of performance, and the results demonstrated that all the strain-based metrics performed better than any of the kinematic metrics, indicating that strain-based metrics are better discriminators of imaging changes than kinematic-based measures. Studies relating the biomechanics of head impacts with brain imaging and cognitive function may allow equipment designers, care providers, and organizations to prevent, identify, and treat injuries in order to make football a safer activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Logan E. Miller
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem,School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Virginia Tech–Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem
| | - Jillian E. Urban
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem,School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Virginia Tech–Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem
| | - Mark A. Espeland
- Department of Biostatistics and Data Science, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem
| | - Michael P. Walkup
- Department of Biostatistics and Data Science, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem
| | - James M. Holcomb
- Department of Radiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, Texas
| | | | - Alexander K. Powers
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem,Department of Neurosurgery, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem
| | - Christopher T. Whitlow
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem,Department of Radiology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
| | - Joseph A. Maldjian
- Department of Radiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, Texas
| | - Joel D. Stitzel
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem,School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Virginia Tech–Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem
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24
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Stemper BD, Shah A, Chiariello R, McCarthy C, Jessen K, Sarka B, Seifert J, Budde MD, Wang K, Olsen CM, McCrea M. A Preclinical Rodent Model for Repetitive Subconcussive Head Impact Exposure in Contact Sport Athletes. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:805124. [PMID: 35368301 PMCID: PMC8965565 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.805124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Repetitive subconcussive head impact exposure has been associated with clinical and MRI changes in some non-concussed contact sport athletes over the course of a season. However, analysis of human tolerance for repeated head impacts is complicated by concussion and head impact exposure history, genetics, and other personal factors. Therefore, the objective of the current study was to develop a rodent model for repetitive subconcussive head impact exposure that can be used to understand injury mechanisms and tolerance in the human. This study incorporated the Medical College of Wisconsin Rotational Injury Model to expose rats to multiple low-level head accelerations per day over a 4-week period. The peak magnitude of head accelerations were scaled from our prior human studies of contact sport athletes and the number of exposures per day were based on the median (moderate exposure) and 95th percentile (high exposure) number of exposures per day across the human sample. Following the exposure protocol, rats were assessed for cognitive deficits, emotional changes, blood serum levels of axonal injury biomarkers, and histopathological evidence of injury. High exposure rats demonstrated cognitive deficits and evidence of anxiety-like behaviors relative to shams. Moderate exposure rats did not demonstrate either of those behaviors. Similarly, high exposure rats had histopathological evidence of gliosis [i.e., elevated Iba1 intensity and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) volume relative to shams] in the basolateral amygdala and other areas. Blood serum levels of neurofilament light (NFL) demonstrated a dose response relationship with increasing numbers of low-level head acceleration exposures with a higher week-to-week rate of NFL increase for the high exposure group compared to the moderate exposure group. These findings demonstrate a cumulative effect of repeated low-level head accelerations and provide a model that can be used in future studies to better understand mechanisms and tolerance for brain injury resulting from repeated low-level head accelerations, with scalable biomechanics between the rat and human.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian D. Stemper
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, Medical College of Wisconsin, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, United States
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
- Clement J. Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI, United States
- Neuroscience Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
- *Correspondence: Brian D. Stemper,
| | - Alok Shah
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
- Clement J. Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Rachel Chiariello
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
- Clement J. Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Cassandra McCarthy
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
- Clement J. Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Kristin Jessen
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Bailey Sarka
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Jack Seifert
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, Medical College of Wisconsin, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, United States
- Clement J. Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Matthew D. Budde
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
- Clement J. Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI, United States
- Neuroscience Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Kevin Wang
- Gryphon Bio, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Christopher M. Olsen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
- Neuroscience Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Michael McCrea
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
- Clement J. Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI, United States
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25
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Crasta JE, Tucker RN, Robinson J, Chen HW, Crocetti D, Suskauer SJ. Altered white matter diffusivity and subtle motor function in a pilot cohort of adolescents with sports-related concussion. Brain Inj 2022; 36:393-400. [PMID: 35157539 PMCID: PMC9133076 DOI: 10.1080/02699052.2022.2034181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Background and objective: Adolescents with sports-related concussion (SRC) demonstrate acute and persistent deficits in subtle motor function. However, there is limited research examining related neurological underpinnings. This pilot study examined changes in motor-associated white matter pathways using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and their relationship with subtle motor function. Methods: Twelve adolescents with SRC (12–17 years) within two-weeks post-injury and 13 never-injured neurotypical peers completed DTI scanning. A subset of 6 adolescents with SRC returned for a follow-up visit post-medical clearance from concussion. Subtle motor function was evaluated using the Physical and Neurological Examination of Subtle Signs (PANESS). Results: Adolescents with SRC showed higher mean diffusivity (MD) of the superior corona radiata and greater subtle motor deficits compared to controls. Across all participants, greater subtle motor deficits were associated with higher (more atypical) MD of the superior corona radiata. Preliminary longitudinal analysis indicated reduction in fractional anisotropy of the corpus callosum but no change in the MD of the superior corona radiata from the initial visit to the follow-up visit post-medical clearance. Conclusions: These findings support preliminary evidence for a brain–behavior relationship between superior corona radiata microstructure and subtle motor deficits in adolescents with SRC that merits further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jewel E Crasta
- Occupational Therapy Division, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Stacy J Suskauer
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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26
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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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27
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Gallagher VT, Murthy P, Stocks J, Vesci B, Mjaanes J, Chen Y, Breiter HC, LaBella C, Herrold AA, Reilly JL. Eye Movements Detect Differential Change after Participation in Male Collegiate Collision versus Non-Collision Sports. Neurotrauma Rep 2021; 2:440-452. [PMID: 34901940 PMCID: PMC8655805 DOI: 10.1089/neur.2021.0030] [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: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Although neuroimaging studies of collision (COLL) sport athletes demonstrate alterations in brain structure and function from pre- to post-season, reliable tools to detect behavioral/cognitive change relevant to functional networks associated with participation in collision sports are lacking. This study evaluated the use of eye-movement testing to detect change in cognitive and sensorimotor processing among male club collegiate athletes after one season of participation in collision sports of variable exposure. We predicted that COLL (High Dose [hockey], n = 8; Low Dose [rugby], n = 9) would demonstrate longer reaction times (antisaccade and memory-guided saccade [MGS] latencies), increased inhibitory errors (antisaccade error rate), and poorer spatial working memory (MGS spatial accuracy) at post-season, relative to pre-season, whereas non-collision collegiate athletes (NON-COLL; n = 17) would remain stable. We also predicted that whereas eye-movement performance would detect pre- to post-season change, ImPACT (Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Test) performance would remain stable. Our data showed that NON-COLL had shorter (improved performance) post- versus pre-season antisaccade and MGS latencies, whereas COLL groups showed stable, longer, or attenuated reduction in latency (ps ≤ 0.001). Groups did not differ in antisaccade error rate. On the MGS task, NON-COLL demonstrated improved spatial accuracy over time, whereas COLL groups showed reduced spatial accuracy (p < 0.05, uncorrected). No differential change was observed on ImPACT. This study provides preliminary evidence for eye-movement testing as a sensitive marker of subtle changes in attentional control and working memory resulting from participation in sports with varying levels of subconcussive exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Prianka Murthy
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Jane Stocks
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Brian Vesci
- Department of Sports Medicine, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Jeffrey Mjaanes
- Department of Sports Medicine, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Yufen Chen
- Center for Translational Imaging, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Hans C Breiter
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Cynthia LaBella
- Division of Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, Ann & Robert H Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Amy A Herrold
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - James L Reilly
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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28
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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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Treacher AH, Garg P, Davenport E, Godwin R, Proskovec A, Bezerra LG, Murugesan G, Wagner B, Whitlow CT, Stitzel JD, Maldjian JA, Montillo AA. MEGnet: Automatic ICA-based artifact removal for MEG using spatiotemporal convolutional neural networks. Neuroimage 2021; 241:118402. [PMID: 34274419 PMCID: PMC9125748 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Revised: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is a functional neuroimaging tool that records the magnetic fields induced by neuronal activity; however, signal from non-neuronal sources can corrupt the data. Eye-blinks, saccades, and cardiac activity are three of the most common sources of non-neuronal artifacts. They can be measured by affixing eye proximal electrodes, as in electrooculography (EOG), and chest electrodes, as in electrocardiography (ECG), however this complicates imaging setup, decreases patient comfort, and can induce further artifacts from movement. This work proposes an EOG- and ECG-free approach to identify eye-blinks, saccades, and cardiac activity signals for automated artifact suppression. The contribution of this work is three-fold. First, using a data driven, multivariate decomposition approach based on Independent Component Analysis (ICA), a highly accurate artifact classifier is constructed as an amalgam of deep 1-D and 2-D Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) to automate the identification and removal of ubiquitous whole brain artifacts including eye-blink, saccade, and cardiac artifacts. The specific architecture of this network is optimized through an unbiased, computer-based hyperparameter random search. Second, visualization methods are applied to the learned abstraction to reveal what features the model uses and to bolster user confidence in the model's training and potential for generalization. Finally, the model is trained and tested on both resting-state and task MEG data from 217 subjects, and achieves a new state-of-the-art in artifact detection accuracy of 98.95% including 96.74% sensitivity and 99.34% specificity on the held out test-set. This work automates MEG processing for both clinical and research use, adapts to the acquired acquisition time, and can obviate the need for EOG or ECG electrodes for artifact detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex H Treacher
- Lyda Hill Department of Bioinformatics, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Prabhat Garg
- Lyda Hill Department of Bioinformatics, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States; Department of Radiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Elizabeth Davenport
- Department of Radiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States; Magnetoencephalography Center of Excellence, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Ryan Godwin
- Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - Amy Proskovec
- Department of Radiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States; Magnetoencephalography Center of Excellence, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | | | - Gowtham Murugesan
- Department of Radiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Ben Wagner
- Department of Radiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States; Magnetoencephalography Center of Excellence, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | | | - Joel D Stitzel
- Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - Joseph A Maldjian
- Lyda Hill Department of Bioinformatics, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States; Magnetoencephalography Center of Excellence, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Albert A Montillo
- Lyda Hill Department of Bioinformatics, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States; Department of Radiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States; Advanced Imaging Research Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States.
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Head Impact Research Using Inertial Sensors in Sport: A Systematic Review of Methods, Demographics, and Factors Contributing to Exposure. Sports Med 2021; 52:481-504. [PMID: 34677820 DOI: 10.1007/s40279-021-01574-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The number and magnitude of head impacts have been assessed in-vivo using inertial sensors to characterise the exposure in various sports and to help understand their potential relationship to concussion. OBJECTIVES We aimed to provide a comprehensive review of the field of in-vivo sensor acceleration event research in sports via the summary of data collection and processing methods, population demographics and factors contributing to an athlete's exposure to sensor acceleration events. METHODS The systematic search resulted in 185 cohort or cross-sectional studies that recorded sensor acceleration events in-vivo during sport participation. RESULTS Approximately 5800 participants were studied in 20 sports using 18 devices that included instrumented helmets, headbands, skin patches, mouthguards and earplugs. Female and youth participants were under-represented and ambiguous results were reported for these populations. The number and magnitude of sensor acceleration events were affected by a variety of contributing factors, suggesting sport-specific analyses are needed. For collision sports, being male, being older, and playing in a game (as opposed to a practice), all contributed to being exposed to more sensor acceleration events. DISCUSSION Several issues were identified across the various sensor technologies, and efforts should focus on harmonising research methods and improving the accuracy of kinematic measurements and impact classification. While the research is more mature for high-school and collegiate male American football players, it is still in its early stages in many other sports and for female and youth populations. The information reported in the summarised work has improved our understanding of the exposure to sport-related head impacts and has enabled the development of prevention strategies, such as rule changes. CONCLUSIONS Head impact research can help improve our understanding of the acute and chronic effects of head impacts on neurological impairments and brain injury. The field is still growing in many sports, but technological improvements and standardisation of processes are needed.
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Relationship Between Time-Weighted Head Impact Exposure on Directional Changes in Diffusion Imaging in Youth Football Players. Ann Biomed Eng 2021; 49:2852-2862. [PMID: 34549344 PMCID: PMC8978207 DOI: 10.1007/s10439-021-02862-4] [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: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Approximately 3.5 million youth and adolescents in the US play football, a sport with one of the highest rates of concussion. Repeated subconcussive head impact exposure (HIE) may lead to negative neurological sequelae. To understand HIE as an independent predictive variable, quantitative cumulative kinematic metrics have been developed to capture the volume (i.e., number), severity (i.e., magnitude), and frequency (i.e., time-weighting by the interval between head impacts). In this study, time-weighted cumulative HIE metrics were compared with directional changes in diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) metrics. Changes in DTI conducted on a per-season, per-player basis were assessed as a dependent variable. Directional changes were defined separately as increases and decreases in the number of abnormal voxels relative to non-contact sport controls. Biomechanical and imaging data from 117 athletes (average age 11.9 ± 1.0 years) enrolled in this study was analyzed. Cumulative HIE metrics were more strongly correlated with increases in abnormal voxels than decreases in abnormal voxels. Additionally, across DTI sub-measures, increases and decreases in mean diffusivity (MD) had the strongest relationships with HIE metrics (increases in MD: average R2 = 0.1753, average p = 0.0002; decreases in MD: average R2 = 0.0997, average p = 0.0073). This encourages further investigation into the physiological phenomena represented by directional changes.
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Identifying Factors Associated with Head Impact Kinematics and Brain Strain in High School American Football via Instrumented Mouthguards. Ann Biomed Eng 2021; 49:2814-2826. [PMID: 34549342 PMCID: PMC8906650 DOI: 10.1007/s10439-021-02853-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Repeated head impact exposure and concussions are common in American football. Identifying the factors associated with high magnitude impacts aids in informing sport policy changes, improvements to protective equipment, and better understanding of the brain's response to mechanical loading. Recently, the Stanford Instrumented Mouthguard (MiG2.0) has seen several improvements in its accuracy in measuring head kinematics and its ability to correctly differentiate between true head impact events and false positives. Using this device, the present study sought to identify factors (e.g., player position, helmet model, direction of head acceleration, etc.) that are associated with head impact kinematics and brain strain in high school American football athletes. 116 athletes were monitored over a total of 888 athlete exposures. 602 total impacts were captured and verified by the MiG2.0's validated impact detection algorithm. Peak values of linear acceleration, angular velocity, and angular acceleration were obtained from the mouthguard kinematics. The kinematics were also entered into a previously developed finite element model of the human brain to compute the 95th percentile maximum principal strain. Overall, impacts were (mean ± SD) 34.0 ± 24.3 g for peak linear acceleration, 22.2 ± 15.4 rad/s for peak angular velocity, 2979.4 ± 3030.4 rad/s2 for peak angular acceleration, and 0.262 ± 0.241 for 95th percentile maximum principal strain. Statistical analyses revealed that impacts resulting in Forward head accelerations had higher magnitudes of peak kinematics and brain strain than Lateral or Rearward impacts and that athletes in skill positions sustained impacts of greater magnitude than athletes in line positions. 95th percentile maximum principal strain was significantly lower in the observed cohort of high school football athletes than previous reports of collegiate football athletes. No differences in impact magnitude were observed in athletes with or without previous concussion history, in athletes wearing different helmet models, or in junior varsity or varsity athletes. This study presents novel information on head acceleration events and their resulting brain strain in high school American football from our advanced, validated method of measuring head kinematics via instrumented mouthguard technology.
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Holcomb JM, Fisicaro RA, Miller LE, Yu FF, Davenport EM, Xi Y, Urban JE, Wagner BC, Powers AK, Whitlow CT, Stitzel JD, Maldjian JA. Regional White Matter Diffusion Changes Associated with the Cumulative Tensile Strain and Strain Rate in Nonconcussed Youth Football Players. J Neurotrauma 2021; 38:2763-2771. [PMID: 34039024 PMCID: PMC8820832 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2020.7580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to assess the relationship between regional white matter diffusion imaging changes and finite element strain measures in nonconcussed youth football players. Pre- and post-season diffusion-weighted imaging was performed in 102 youth football subject-seasons, in which no concussions were diagnosed. The diffusion data were normalized to the IXI template. Percent change in fractional anisotropy (%ΔFA) images were generated. Using data from the head impact telemetry system, the cumulative maximum principal strain one times strain rate (CMPS1 × SR), a measure of the cumulative tensile brain strain and strain rate for one season, was calculated for each subject. Two linear regression analyses were performed to identify significant positive or inverse relationships between CMPS1 × SR and %ΔFA within the international consortium for brain mapping white matter mask. Age, body mass index, days between pre- and post-season imaging, previous brain injury, attention disorder diagnosis, and imaging protocol were included as covariates. False discovery rate correction was used with corrected alphas of 0.025 and voxel thresholds of zero. Controlling for all covariates, a significant, positive linear relationship between %ΔFA and CMPS1 × SR was identified in the bilateral cingulum, fornix, internal capsule, external capsule, corpus callosum, corona radiata, corticospinal tract, cerebral and middle cerebellar peduncle, superior longitudinal fasciculus, and right superior fronto-occipital fasciculus. Post hoc analyses further demonstrated significant %ΔFA differences between high-strain football subjects and noncollision control athletes, no significant %ΔFA differences between low-strain subjects and noncollision control athletes, and that CMPS1 × SR significantly explained more %ΔFA variance than number of head impacts alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- James M. Holcomb
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Ryan A. Fisicaro
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Logan E. Miller
- Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Fang F. Yu
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | | | - Yin Xi
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Jillian E. Urban
- Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Ben C. Wagner
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | | | | | - Joel D. Stitzel
- Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
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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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35
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Kelley ME, Urban JE, Jones DA, Davenport EM, Miller LE, Snively BM, Powers AK, Whitlow CT, Maldjian JA, Stitzel JD. Analysis of longitudinal head impact exposure and white matter integrity in returning youth football players. J Neurosurg Pediatr 2021; 28:196-205. [PMID: 34130257 PMCID: PMC10193468 DOI: 10.3171/2021.1.peds20586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to characterize changes in head impact exposure (HIE) across multiple football seasons and to determine whether changes in HIE correlate with changes in imaging metrics in youth football players. METHODS On-field head impact data and pre- and postseason imaging data, including those produced by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), were collected from youth football athletes with at least two consecutive seasons of data. ANCOVA was used to evaluate HIE variations (number of impacts, peak linear and rotational accelerations, and risk-weighted cumulative exposure) by season number. DTI scalar metrics, including fractional anisotropy, mean diffusivity, and linear, planar, and spherical anisotropy coefficients, were evaluated. A control group was used to determine the number of abnormal white matter voxels, which were defined as 2 standard deviations above or below the control group mean. The difference in the number of abnormal voxels between consecutive seasons was computed for each scalar metric and athlete. Linear regression analyses were performed to evaluate relationships between changes in HIE metrics and changes in DTI scalar metrics. RESULTS There were 47 athletes with multiple consecutive seasons of HIE, and corresponding imaging data were available in a subsample (n = 19) of these. Increases and decreases in HIE metrics were observed among individual athletes from one season to the next, and no significant differences (all p > 0.05) in HIE metrics were observed by season number. Changes in the number of practice impacts, 50th percentile impacts per practice session, and 50th percentile impacts per session were significantly positively correlated with changes in abnormal voxels for all DTI metrics. CONCLUSIONS These results demonstrate a significant positive association between changes in HIE metrics and changes in the numbers of abnormal voxels between consecutive seasons of youth football. Reducing the number and frequency of head impacts, especially during practice sessions, may decrease the number of abnormal imaging findings from one season to the next in youth football.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mireille E. Kelley
- Departments of Biomedical Engineering
- Virginia Tech–Wake Forest School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Winston-Salem, North Carolina; and
| | - Jillian E. Urban
- Departments of Biomedical Engineering
- Virginia Tech–Wake Forest School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Winston-Salem, North Carolina; and
| | - Derek A. Jones
- Departments of Biomedical Engineering
- Virginia Tech–Wake Forest School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Winston-Salem, North Carolina; and
| | | | - Logan E. Miller
- Departments of Biomedical Engineering
- Virginia Tech–Wake Forest School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Winston-Salem, North Carolina; and
| | | | | | - Christopher T. Whitlow
- Departments of Biomedical Engineering
- Radiology (Neuroradiology), and
- Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem
| | - Joseph A. Maldjian
- Department of Radiology, University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, Texas
| | - Joel D. Stitzel
- Departments of Biomedical Engineering
- Virginia Tech–Wake Forest School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Winston-Salem, North Carolina; and
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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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A preliminary investigation of corpus callosum subregion white matter vulnerability and relation to chronic outcome in boxers. Brain Imaging Behav 2021; 14:772-786. [PMID: 30565025 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-018-0018-7] [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: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Microstructural neuropathology occurs in the corpus callosum (CC) after repetitive sports concussion in boxers and can be dose-dependent. However, the specificity and relation of CC changes to boxing exposure extent and post-career psychiatric and neuropsychological outcomes are largely unknown. Using deterministic diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) techniques, boxers and demographically-matched, noncontact sport athletes were compared to address literature gaps. Ten boxers and 9 comparison athletes between 26 and 59 years old (M = 44.63, SD = 9.24) completed neuropsychological testing and MRI. Quantitative DTI metrics were estimated for CC subregions. Group×Region interaction effects were observed on fractional anisotropy (FA; η2p ≥ .21). Follow-up indicated large effects of group (η2p ≥ .26) on splenium FA (boxers<comparisons) and genu mean diffusivity (MD; boxers>comparisons), but not radial diffusivity (RD). The group of boxers had moderately elevated number of psychiatric symptoms and reduced neuropsychological scores relative to the comparison group. In boxers, years sparring, professional bouts, and knockout history correlated strongly (r > |.40|) with DTI metrics and fine motor dexterity. In the comparison group, splenium FA correlated positively with psychiatric symptoms. In the boxer group, neuropsychological scores correlated with DTI metrics in all CC subregions. Results suggested relative vulnerability of the splenium and, to a lesser extent, the genu to chronic, repetitive head injury from boxing. Dose-dependent associations of professional boxing history extent with DTI white matter structure indices as well as fine motor dexterity were supported. Results indicated that symptoms of depression and executive dysfunction may provide the strongest indicators of global CC disruption from boxing.
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Abstract
Head injury models are notoriously time consuming and resource demanding in simulations, which prevents routine application. Here, we extend a convolutional neural network (CNN) to instantly estimate element-wise distribution of peak maximum principal strain (MPS) of the entire brain (>36 k speedup accomplished on a low-end computing platform). To achieve this, head impact rotational velocity and acceleration temporal profiles are combined into two-dimensional images to serve as CNN input for training and prediction of MPS. Compared with the directly simulated counterparts, the CNN-estimated responses (magnitude and distribution) are sufficiently accurate for 92.1% of the cases via 10-fold cross-validation using impacts drawn from the real world (n = 5661; range of peak rotational velocity in augmented data extended to 2-40 rad/sec). The success rate further improves to 97.1% for "in-range" impacts (n = 4298). When using the same CNN architecture to train (n = 3064) and test on an independent, reconstructed National Football League (NFL) impact dataset (n = 53; 20 concussions and 33 non-injuries), 51 out of 53, or 96.2% of the cases, are sufficiently accurate. The estimated responses also achieve virtually identical concussion prediction performances relative to the directly simulated counterparts, and they often outperform peak MPS of the whole brain (e.g., accuracy of 0.83 vs. 0.77 via leave-one-out cross-validation). These findings support the use of CNN for accurate and efficient estimation of spatially detailed brain strains across the vast majority of head impacts in contact sports. Our technique may hold the potential to transform traumatic brain injury (TBI) research and the design and testing standards of head protective gears by facilitating the transition from acceleration-based approximation to strain-based design and analysis. This would have broad implications in the TBI biomechanics field to accelerate new scientific discoveries. The pre-trained CNN is freely available online at https://github.com/Jilab-biomechanics/CNN-brain-strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kianoosh Ghazi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachustts, USA
| | - Shaoju Wu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachustts, USA
| | - Wei Zhao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachustts, USA
| | - Songbai Ji
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachustts, USA
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachustts, USA
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39
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Tayebi M, Holdsworth SJ, Champagne AA, Cook DJ, Nielsen P, Lee TR, Wang A, Fernandez J, Shim V. The role of diffusion tensor imaging in characterizing injury patterns on athletes with concussion and subconcussive injury: a systematic review. Brain Inj 2021; 35:621-644. [PMID: 33843389 DOI: 10.1080/02699052.2021.1895313] [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] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major public health problem. The majority of TBIs are in the form of mild TBI (also known as concussion) with sports-related concussion (SRC) receiving public attention in recent years.Here we have performed a systematic review of the literature on the use of Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) on sports-related concussion and subconcussive injuries. Our review found different patterns of change in DTI parameters between concussed and subconcussed groups. The Fractional Anisotropy (FA) was either unchanged or increased for the concussion group, while the subconcussed group generally experienced a decrease in FA. A reverse pattern was observed for Mean Diffusivity (MD) - where the concussed group experienced a decrease in MD while the subconcussed group showed an increase in MD. However, in general, discrepancies were observed in the results reported in the literature - likely due to the huge variations in DTI acquisition parameters, and image processing and analysis methods used in these studies. This calls for more comprehensive and well-controlled studies in this field, including those that combine the advanced brain imaging with biomechancial modeling and kinematic sensors - to shed light on the underlying mechanisms behind the structural changes observed from the imaging studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Tayebi
- Auckland Bioengineering Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Samantha J Holdsworth
- Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging & Centre for Brain Research, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.,Mātai Medical Research Insitute, Gisborne, New Zealand
| | - Allen A Champagne
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Douglas J Cook
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.,Department of Surgery, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Poul Nielsen
- Auckland Bioengineering Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Tae-Rin Lee
- Advanced Institute of Convergence Technology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Alan Wang
- Auckland Bioengineering Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.,Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging & Centre for Brain Research, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Justin Fernandez
- Auckland Bioengineering Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.,Department of Engineering Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Vickie Shim
- Auckland Bioengineering Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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40
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Fickling SD, Smith AM, Stuart MJ, Dodick DW, Farrell K, Pender SC, D'Arcy RCN. Subconcussive brain vital signs changes predict head-impact exposure in ice hockey players. Brain Commun 2021; 3:fcab019. [PMID: 33855296 PMCID: PMC8023684 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcab019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Revised: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The brain vital signs framework is a portable, objective, neurophysiological evaluation of brain function at point-of-care. We investigated brain vital signs at pre- and post-season for age 14 or under (Bantam) and age 16-20 (Junior-A) male ice hockey players to (i) further investigate previously published brain vital sign results showing subconcussive cognitive deficits and (ii) validate these findings through comparison with head-impact data obtained from instrumented accelerometers. With a longitudinal study design, 23 male ice hockey players in Bantam (n = 13; age 13.63 ± 0.62) and Tier II Junior-A (n = 10; age 18.62 ± 0.86) divisions were assessed at pre- and post-season. None were diagnosed with a concussion during the season. Cognitive evoked potential measures of Auditory sensation (N100), Basic attention (P300) and Cognitive processing (N400) were analysed as changes in peak amplitudes and latencies (six standard scores total). A regression analysis examined the relationship between brain vital signs and the number of head impacts received during the study season. Significant pre/post differences in brain vital signs were detected for both groups. Bantam and Junior-A players also differed in number of head impacts (Bantam: 32.92 ± 17.68; Junior-A: 195.00 ± 61.08; P < 0.001). Importantly, the regression model demonstrated a significant linear relationship between changes in brain vital signs and total head impacts received (R = 0.799, P = 0.007), with clear differences between the Bantam and Junior-A groups. In the absence of a clinically diagnosed concussion, the brain vital sign changes appear to have demonstrated the compounding effects of repetitive subconcussive impacts. The findings underscored the importance of an objective physiological measure of brain function along the spectrum of concussive impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaun D Fickling
- Faculty of Science and Applied Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Metro Vancouver, BC V5A1S6, Canada.,Center for Neurology Studies, HealthTech Connex, Metro Vancouver, BC V3V0C6, Canada.,BrainNET, Health and Technology District, Surrey, BC V3V0C6, Canada
| | - Aynsley M Smith
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Sports Medicine Center, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.,Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Sports Medicine Center, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Michael J Stuart
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Sports Medicine Center, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - David W Dodick
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, AZ 85259, USA
| | - Kyle Farrell
- Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, Nebraska 68178, USA
| | - Sara C Pender
- School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin D04 V1W8, Ireland
| | - Ryan C N D'Arcy
- Faculty of Science and Applied Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Metro Vancouver, BC V5A1S6, Canada.,Center for Neurology Studies, HealthTech Connex, Metro Vancouver, BC V3V0C6, Canada.,BrainNET, Health and Technology District, Surrey, BC V3V0C6, Canada.,DM Centre for Brain Health, Radiology, University of British Columbia, Metro Vancouver, BC V6T1Z4, Canada
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41
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Development of brain atlases for early-to-middle adolescent collision-sport athletes. Sci Rep 2021; 11:6440. [PMID: 33742031 PMCID: PMC7979742 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-85518-6] [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: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Human brains develop across the life span and largely vary in morphology. Adolescent collision-sport athletes undergo repetitive head impacts over years of practices and competitions, and therefore may exhibit a neuroanatomical trajectory different from healthy adolescents in general. However, an unbiased brain atlas targeting these individuals does not exist. Although standardized brain atlases facilitate spatial normalization and voxel-wise analysis at the group level, when the underlying neuroanatomy does not represent the study population, greater biases and errors can be introduced during spatial normalization, confounding subsequent voxel-wise analysis and statistical findings. In this work, targeting early-to-middle adolescent (EMA, ages 13-19) collision-sport athletes, we developed population-specific brain atlases that include templates (T1-weighted and diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging) and semantic labels (cortical and white matter parcellations). Compared to standardized adult or age-appropriate templates, our templates better characterized the neuroanatomy of the EMA collision-sport athletes, reduced biases introduced during spatial normalization, and exhibited higher sensitivity in diffusion tensor imaging analysis. In summary, these results suggest the population-specific brain atlases are more appropriate towards reproducible and meaningful statistical results, which better clarify mechanisms of traumatic brain injury and monitor brain health for EMA collision-sport athletes.
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42
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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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43
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Campbell KR, Marshall SW, Luck JF, Pinton GF, Stitzel JD, Boone JS, Guskiewicz KM, Mihalik JP. Head Impact Telemetry System's Video-based Impact Detection and Location Accuracy. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2021; 52:2198-2206. [PMID: 32936594 DOI: 10.1249/mss.0000000000002371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study aimed to quantify the Head Impact Telemetry (HIT) System's impact detection and location measurement accuracy using an impact biomechanics data set paired with video of high school football special teams plays. METHODS The head impact biomechanics data set and video were collected from 22 high school football players, wearing HIT System instrumented helmets, competing in 218 special teams plays over a single high school football season. We used two separate video analysis approaches. To quantify the impact detection accuracy, we evaluated the video for head impacts independently of the impact data collection triggers collected by the HIT System. Video-observed impacts matched to valid and invalid head impacts by the HIT System algorithm were categorized as true positives, false positives, false negatives, and true negatives. To quantify impact location accuracy, we analyzed video-synchronized head impacts for impact location independent of the HIT System's impact location measurement and quantified the estimated percent agreement of impact location between the HIT System recorded impact location and the impact location observed on video. RESULTS The HIT System's impact-filtering algorithm had 69% sensitivity, 72% specificity, and 70% accuracy in categorizing true and non-head impact data collection triggers. The HIT System agreed with video-observed impact locations on 64% of the 129 impacts we analyzed (unweighted k = 0.43, 95% confidence interval = 0.31-0.54). CONCLUSION This work provides data on the HIT System's impact detection and location accuracy during high school football special teams plays using game video analysis that has not been previously published. Based on our data, we believe that the HIT System is useful for estimating population-based impact location distributions for special teams plays.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stephen W Marshall
- Injury Prevention Research Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Jason F Luck
- Injury Biomechanics Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC
| | - Gianmarco F Pinton
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University, Chapel Hill, NC
| | | | - Joshua S Boone
- Department of Exercise and Sport Science, Matthew Gfeller Sport-Related Traumatic Brain Injury Research Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
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44
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Macy JT, Kercher K, Steinfeldt JA, Kawata K. Fewer US Adolescents Playing Football and Public Health: A Review of Measures to Improve Safety and an Analysis of Gaps in the Literature. Public Health Rep 2021; 136:562-574. [PMID: 33602026 DOI: 10.1177/0033354920976553] [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: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Physical activity during adolescence is associated with positive health outcomes, yet only 26% of US middle and high school students report daily physical activity. Moreover, the number of high school students playing a sport is declining, with the largest decline in football. One reason for this decline in playing football may be increased attention to the risk of head injury. For public health, the decline is alarming because football offers a physical activity opportunity for millions of young people every year. In response, efforts have been made to institute measures to enhance the safety of football. The objective of this topical review was to review these measures and the data supporting their effectiveness. We conducted a search of scientific literature supplemented by a web search to identify safety measures. We used the Indiana University library electronic database, PubMed, and web browser searches with specific search terms. In addition to peer-reviewed studies, we searched news stories and reports from sport-related organizations. We summarized the measures and evaluations of effectiveness and categorized the measures by type (game rules, practice guidelines, equipment innovations, strategic initiatives) and target age group (elementary/middle school, high school, college, professional). We found that attempts are being made to improve the safety of football at all levels. However, many measures lack scientific evidence to support their effectiveness. Therefore, researchers need to systematically evaluate safety measures. By implementing evidence-based interventions, we can balance the public health risk of playing football versus the public health risk of continued declines in participation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan T Macy
- 1771 Department of Applied Health Science, School of Public Health, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Kyle Kercher
- 1771 Department of Applied Health Science, School of Public Health, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Jesse A Steinfeldt
- Department of Counseling Psychology, School of Education, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Keisuke Kawata
- Department of Kinesiology, School of Public Health, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA.,Program in Neuroscience, College of Arts and Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
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45
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Brett BL, Koch KM, Muftuler LT, Budde M, McCrea MA, Meier TB. Association of Head Impact Exposure with White Matter Macrostructure and Microstructure Metrics. J Neurotrauma 2021; 38:474-484. [PMID: 33003979 PMCID: PMC7875606 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2020.7376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Prior studies have reported white matter abnormalities associated with a history of cumulative concussion and/or repetitive head impacts (RHI) in contact sport athletes. Growing evidence suggests these abnormalities may begin as more subtle changes earlier in life in active younger athletes. We investigated the relationship between prior concussion and contact sport exposure with multi-modal white matter microstructure and macrostructure using magnetic resonance imaging. High school and collegiate athletes (n = 121) completed up to four evaluations involving neuroimaging. Linear mixed-effects models examined associations of years of contact sport exposure (i.e., RHI proxy) and prior concussion across multiple metrics of white matter, including total white matter volume, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) metrics, diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) metrics, and quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM). A significant inverse association between cumulative years of contact sport exposure and QSM was observed, F(1, 237.77) = 4.67, p = 0.032. Cumulative contact sport exposure was also associated with decreased radial diffusivity, F(1, 114.56) = 5.81, p = 0.018, as well as elevated fractional anisotropy, F(1, 115.32) = 5.40, p = 0.022, and radial kurtosis, F(1, 113.45) = 4.03, p = 0.047. In contrast, macroscopic white matter volume was not significantly associated with cumulative contact sport exposure (p > 0.05). Concussion history was not significantly associated with QSM, DTI, DKI, or white matter volume (all, p > 0.05). Cumulative contact sport exposure is associated with subtle differences in white matter microstructure, but not gross white matter macrostructure, in young active athletes. Longitudinal follow-up is required to assess the progression of these findings to determine their contribution to potential adverse effects later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin L. Brett
- Department of Neurosurgery, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
- Department of Neurology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
- Center for Neurotrauma Research, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Kevin M. Koch
- Center for Neurotrauma Research, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
- Depertment of Radiology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
- Center for Imaging Research, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - L. Tugan Muftuler
- Department of Neurosurgery, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
- Center for Neurotrauma Research, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
- Depertment of Radiology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Matthew Budde
- Department of Neurosurgery, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
- Center for Neurotrauma Research, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Michael A. McCrea
- Department of Neurosurgery, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
- Department of Neurology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
- Center for Neurotrauma Research, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Timothy B. Meier
- Department of Neurosurgery, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
- Center for Neurotrauma Research, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES Head impact exposure (HIE) in youth football is a public health concern. The objective of this study was to determine if one season of HIE in youth football was related to cognitive changes. METHOD Over 200 participants (ages 9-13) wore instrumented helmets for practices and games to measure the amount of HIE sustained over one season. Pre- and post-season neuropsychological tests were completed. Test score changes were calculated adjusting for practice effects and regression to the mean and used as the dependent variables. Regression models were calculated with HIE variables predicting neuropsychological test score changes. RESULTS For the full sample, a small effect was found with season average rotational values predicting changes in list-learning such that HIE was related to negative score change: standardized beta (β) = -.147, t(205) = -2.12, and p = .035. When analyzed by age clusters (9-10, 11-13) and adding participant weight to models, the R2 values increased. Splitting groups by weight (median split), found heavier members of the 9-10 cohort with significantly greater change than lighter members. Additionaly, significantly more participants had clinically meaningful negative changes: X2 = 10.343, p = .001. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that in the 9-10 age cluster, the average seasonal level of HIE had inverse, negative relationships with cognitive change over one season that was not found in the older group. The mediation effects of age and weight have not been explored previously and appear to contribute to the effects of HIE on cognition in youth football players.
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Bazarian JJ, Elbin RJ, Casa DJ, Hotz GA, Neville C, Lopez RM, Schnyer DM, Yeargin S, Covassin T. Validation of a Machine Learning Brain Electrical Activity-Based Index to Aid in Diagnosing Concussion Among Athletes. JAMA Netw Open 2021; 4:e2037349. [PMID: 33587137 PMCID: PMC7885039 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.37349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE An objective, reliable indicator of the presence and severity of concussive brain injury and of the readiness for the return to activity has the potential to reduce concussion-related disability. OBJECTIVE To validate the classification accuracy of a previously derived, machine learning, multimodal, brain electrical activity-based Concussion Index in an independent cohort of athletes with concussion. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This prospective diagnostic cohort study was conducted at 10 clinical sites (ie, US universities and high schools) between February 4, 2017, and March 20, 2019. A cohort comprising a consecutive sample of 207 athletes aged 13 to 25 years with concussion and 373 matched athlete controls without concussion were assessed with electroencephalography, cognitive testing, and symptom inventories within 72 hours of injury, at return to play, and 45 days after return to play. Variables from the multimodal assessment were used to generate a Concussion Index at each time point. Athletes with concussion had experienced a witnessed head impact, were removed from play for 5 days or more, and had an initial Glasgow Coma Scale score of 13 to 15. Participants were excluded for known neurologic disease or history within the last year of traumatic brain injury. Athlete controls were matched to athletes with concussion for age, sex, and type of sport played. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Classification accuracy of the Concussion Index at time of injury using a prespecified cutoff of 70 or less (total range, 0-100, where ≤70 indicates it is likely the individual has a concussion and >70 indicates it is likely the individual does not have a concussion). RESULTS Of 580 eligible participants with analyzable data, 207 had concussion (124 male participants [59.9%]; mean [SD] age, 19.4 [2.5] years), and 373 were athlete controls (187 male participants [50.1%]; mean [SD] age, 19.6 [2.2] years). The Concussion Index had a sensitivity of 86.0% (95% CI, 80.5%-90.4%), specificity of 70.8% (95% CI, 65.9%-75.4%), negative predictive value of 90.1% (95% CI, 86.1%-93.3%), positive predictive value of 62.0% (95% CI, 56.1%-67.7%), and area under receiver operator characteristic curve of 0.89. At day 0, the mean (SD) Concussion Index among athletes with concussion was significantly lower than among athletes without concussion (75.0 [14.0] vs 32.7 [27.2]; P < .001). Among athletes with concussion, there was a significant increase in the Concussion Index between day 0 and return to play, with a mean (SD) paired difference between these time points of -41.2 (27.0) (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE These results suggest that the multimodal brain activity-based Concussion Index has high classification accuracy for identification of the likelihood of concussion at time of injury and may be associated with the return to control values at the time of recovery. The Concussion Index has the potential to aid in the clinical diagnosis of concussion and in the assessment of athletes' readiness to return to play.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey J. Bazarian
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, New York
| | - Robert J. Elbin
- Office for Sports Concussion Research, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
| | | | - Gillian A. Hotz
- UHealth Concussion Program, University of Miami, Miami, Florida
| | - Christopher Neville
- Department of Physical Therapy Education, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York
| | - Rebecca M. Lopez
- Morsani College of Medicine, Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa
| | | | - Susan Yeargin
- Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia
| | - Tracey Covassin
- Department of Kinesiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing
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48
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Yue JK, Phelps RRL, Chandra A, Winkler EA, Manley GT, Berger MS. Sideline Concussion Assessment: The Current State of the Art. Neurosurgery 2021; 87:466-475. [PMID: 32126135 DOI: 10.1093/neuros/nyaa022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2019] [Accepted: 12/15/2019] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
More than 200 million American adults and children participate in organized physical activity. Growing awareness has highlighted that concussion, especially when repeated, may be associated with prolonged neurological, cognitive, and/or neuropsychiatric sequelae. Objective diagnosis of concussion remains challenging. Although some concussion symptoms may be apparent even to nonmedical observers, diagnosis and removal from play for evaluation depend on validated assessment tools and trained, vigilant healthcare personnel. Over the past 2 decades, sideline concussion measures have undergone significant revision and augmentation to become more comprehensive batteries in order to detect a wide spectrum of symptomatology, eg, neurocognitive function, postconcussive symptoms, gait/balance, and saccadic eye movements. This review summarizes the current state-of-the-art concussion evaluation instruments, ranging from the Sports Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT) and tools that may enhance concussion detection, to near-term blood-based biomarkers and emerging technology (eg, head impact sensors, vestibulo-ocular/eye-tracking, and mobile applications). Special focus is directed at feasibility, utility, generalizability, and challenges to implementation of each measure on-field and on the sidelines. This review finds that few instruments beyond the SCAT provide guidance for removal from play, and establishing thresholds for concussion detection and removal from play in qualification/validation of future instruments is of high importance. Integration of emerging sideline concussion evaluation tools should be supported by resources and education to athletes, caregivers, athletic staff, and medical professionals for standardized administration as well as triage, referral, and prevention strategies. It should be noted that concussion evaluation instruments are used to assist the clinician in sideline diagnosis, and no single test can diagnose concussion as a standalone investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- John K Yue
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Ryan R L Phelps
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Ankush Chandra
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Ethan A Winkler
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Geoffrey T Manley
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Mitchel S Berger
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, California
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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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Gallagher VT, Murthy P, Stocks J, Vesci B, Colegrove D, Mjaanes J, Chen Y, Breiter H, LaBella C, Herrold AA, Reilly JL. Differential Change in Oculomotor Performance among Female Collegiate Soccer Players versus Non-Contact Athletes from Pre- to Post-Season. Neurotrauma Rep 2020; 1:169-180. [PMID: 33274345 PMCID: PMC7703496 DOI: 10.1089/neur.2020.0051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensitive and reliable tools are needed to evaluate potential behavioral and cognitive changes following head impact exposure in contact and collision sport participation. We evaluated change in oculomotor testing performance among female, varsity, collegiate athletes following variable exposure to head impacts across a season. Female, collegiate, contact sport (soccer, CONT) and non-contact sport (NON-CONT) athletes were assessed pre-season and post-season. Soccer athletes were grouped according to total season game headers into low dose (≤40 headers; CONT-Low Dose) or high dose (>40 headers; CONT-High Dose) groups. Performance on pro-saccade (reflexive visual response), anti-saccade (executive inhibition), and memory-guided saccade (MGS, spatial working memory) computer-based laboratory tasks were assessed. Primary saccade measures included latency/reaction time, inhibition error rate (anti-saccade only), and spatial accuracy (MGS only). NON-CONT (n = 20), CONT-Low Dose (n = 17), and CONT-High Dose (n = 7) groups significantly differed on pre-season versus post-season latency on tasks with executive functioning demands (anti-saccade and MGS, p ≤ 0.001). Specifically, NON-CONT and CONT-Low Dose demonstrated shorter (i.e., faster) anti-saccade (1.84% and 2.68%, respectively) and MGS (5.74% and 2.76%, respectively) latencies from pre-season to post-season, whereas CONT-High Dose showed 1.40% average longer anti-saccade, and 0.74% shorter MGS, latencies. NON-CONT and CONT-Low Dose demonstrated reduced (i.e., improved) inhibition error rate on the anti-saccade task at post-season versus pre-season, whereas CONT-High Dose demonstrated relative stability (p = 0.021). The results of this study suggest differential exposure to subconcussive head impacts in collegiate female athletes is associated with differential change in reaction time and inhibitory control performances on executive saccadic oculomotor testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia T Gallagher
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Prianka Murthy
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Jane Stocks
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Brian Vesci
- Department of Sports Medicine, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Danielle Colegrove
- Department of Sports Medicine, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Jeffrey Mjaanes
- Department of Sports Medicine, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Yufen Chen
- Center for Translational Imaging, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Hans Breiter
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Cynthia LaBella
- Division of Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Amy A Herrold
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA.,Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital, Hines, Illinois, USA
| | - James L Reilly
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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