1
|
Tsushima WT, Siu A, Tamashiro KKZ, Murata NM. Effects of repetitive subconcussive head trauma on the neuropsychological functioning and symptom reporting of high school athletes in high and low contact sports: Age and sex. APPLIED NEUROPSYCHOLOGY. CHILD 2024:1-7. [PMID: 39192619 DOI: 10.1080/21622965.2024.2394174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/29/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The present study was designed to assess the neuropsychological test performances of non-concussed female and male high school athletes of different ages in high and low contact sports. METHOD Large samples of 2,510 high school athletes in High Contact sports (e.g., football) and 1,437 in Low Contact sports (e.g., basketball) were examined. The participants were administered a baseline Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) prior to their respective seasons. RESULTS Multivariate linear regression showed that the High Contact athletes had significantly poorer results than the Low Contact athletes in all four ImPACT Composite scores and the Total Symptom scores. No age differences were found, but in all three age groups, the High Contact athletes had lower Visual Motor Speed scores than the Low Contact athletes. No test score differences were noted between the females in the High and Low Contact groups, but the High Contact males had poorer Visual Motor Speed and Reaction Time than the Low Contact males. CONCLUSIONS The present results were consistent with prior studies of subconcussive head trauma, with High Contact athletes obtaining overall poorer neuropsychological test results than Low Contact athletes. More investigations in this age group seems is warranted.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- William T Tsushima
- Psychiatry and Psychology Department, Straub Benioff Medical Center, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
| | - Andrea Siu
- Research Institute, Hawaii Pacific Health, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
| | | | - Nathan M Murata
- College of Education, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Kwiatkowski A, Weidler C, Habel U, Coverdale NS, Hirad AA, Manning KY, Rauscher A, Bazarian JJ, Cook DJ, Li DKB, Mahon BZ, Menon RS, Taunton J, Reetz K, Romanzetti S, Huppertz C. Uncovering the hidden effects of repetitive subconcussive head impact exposure: A mega-analytic approach characterizing seasonal brain microstructural changes in contact and collision sports athletes. Hum Brain Mapp 2024; 45:e26811. [PMID: 39185683 PMCID: PMC11345636 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Revised: 07/16/2024] [Accepted: 07/20/2024] [Indexed: 08/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Repetitive subconcussive head impacts (RSHI) are believed to induce sub-clinical brain injuries, potentially resulting in cumulative, long-term brain alterations. This study explores patterns of longitudinal brain white matter changes across sports with RSHI-exposure. A systematic literature search identified 22 datasets with longitudinal diffusion magnetic resonance imaging data. Four datasets were centrally pooled to perform uniform quality control and data preprocessing. A total of 131 non-concussed active athletes (American football, rugby, ice hockey; mean age: 20.06 ± 2.06 years) with baseline and post-season data were included. Nonparametric permutation inference (one-sample t tests, one-sided) was applied to analyze the difference maps of multiple diffusion parameters. The analyses revealed widespread lateralized patterns of sports-season-related increases and decreases in mean diffusivity (MD), radial diffusivity (RD), and axial diffusivity (AD) across spatially distinct white matter regions. Increases were shown across one MD-cluster (3195 voxels; mean change: 2.34%), one AD-cluster (5740 voxels; mean change: 1.75%), and three RD-clusters (817 total voxels; mean change: 3.11 to 4.70%). Decreases were shown across two MD-clusters (1637 total voxels; mean change: -1.43 to -1.48%), two RD-clusters (1240 total voxels; mean change: -1.92 to -1.93%), and one AD-cluster (724 voxels; mean change: -1.28%). The resulting pattern implies the presence of strain-induced injuries in central and brainstem regions, with comparatively milder physical exercise-induced effects across frontal and superior regions of the left hemisphere, which need further investigation. This article highlights key considerations that need to be addressed in future work to enhance our understanding of the nature of observed white matter changes, improve the comparability of findings across studies, and promote data pooling initiatives to allow more detailed investigations (e.g., exploring sex- and sport-specific effects).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Kwiatkowski
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical FacultyRWTH Aachen UniversityAachenGermany
| | - Carmen Weidler
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical FacultyRWTH Aachen UniversityAachenGermany
| | - Ute Habel
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical FacultyRWTH Aachen UniversityAachenGermany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine 10, Research Centre JülichJülichGermany
- JARA‐BRAIN Institute Brain Structure Function Relationship, Research Center Jülich and RWTH Aachen UniversityAachenGermany
| | | | - Adnan A. Hirad
- Department of SurgeryUniversity of Rochester Medical CenterRochesterNew YorkUSA
- Department of NeuroscienceUniversity of Rochester Medical CenterRochesterNew YorkUSA
- Del Monte Neuroscience Institute, University of RochesterNew YorkUSA
| | - Kathryn Y. Manning
- Department of RadiologyUniversity of Calgary and Alberta Children's Hospital Research InstituteCalgaryAlbertaCanada
| | - Alexander Rauscher
- Department of Radiology, Faculty of MedicineUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of NeurologyUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
- Department of Physics and AstronomyUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
- UBC MRI Research Centre, University of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Jeffrey J. Bazarian
- Department of Emergency MedicineUniversity of Rochester School of Medicine and DentistryRochesterNew YorkUSA
| | - Douglas J. Cook
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's UniversityKingstonOntarioCanada
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of SurgeryQueen's UniversityKingstonOntarioCanada
| | - David K. B. Li
- Department of Radiology, Faculty of MedicineUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Bradford Z. Mahon
- Department of PsychologyCarnegie Mellon UniversityPittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
- Carnegie Mellon Neuroscience InstitutePittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of NeurosurgeryUniversity of Rochester Medical CenterRochesterNew YorkUSA
| | - Ravi S. Menon
- Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, Robarts Research Institute, University of Western OntarioLondonOntarioCanada
| | - Jack Taunton
- Allan McGavin Sports Medicine Centre, Faculty of MedicineUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Kathrin Reetz
- Department of Neurology, Medical FacultyRWTH Aachen UniversityAachenGermany
- JARA‐BRAIN Institute Molecular Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, Research Center Jülich and RWTH Aachen UniversityAachenGermany
| | - Sandro Romanzetti
- Department of Neurology, Medical FacultyRWTH Aachen UniversityAachenGermany
- JARA‐BRAIN Institute Molecular Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, Research Center Jülich and RWTH Aachen UniversityAachenGermany
| | - Charlotte Huppertz
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical FacultyRWTH Aachen UniversityAachenGermany
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Hack L, Singh B, Binkofski F, Helmich I. Repetitive Subconcussive Head Impacts in Sports and Their Impact on Brain Anatomy and Function: A Systematic Review. Int J Sports Med 2024. [PMID: 38857880 DOI: 10.1055/a-2342-3604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2024]
Abstract
Repetitive subconcussive head impacts occur regularly in sports. However, the exact relationship between their biomechanical properties and their consequences on brain structure and function has not been clarified yet. We therefore reviewed prospective cohort studies that objectively reported the biomechanical characteristics of repetitive subconcussive head impacts and their impact on brain anatomy and function. Only studies with a pre- to post-measurement design were included. Twenty-four studies met the inclusion criteria. Structural white matter alterations, such as reduced fractional anisotropy and an increase in mean diffusivity values, seem to be evident in athletes exposed to repetitive subconcussive head impacts exceeding 10 g. Such changes are observable after only one season of play. Furthermore, a dose-response relationship exists between white matter abnormalities and the total number of subconcussive head impacts. However, functional changes after repetitive subconcussive head impacts remain inconclusive. We therefore conclude that repetitive subconcussive head impacts induce structural changes, but thus far without overt functional changes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Hack
- Department of Motor Behavior in Sports, German Sport University Cologne, Koln, Germany
- Department of Human Movement Science, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Bhagyashree Singh
- Department of Motor Behavior in Sports, German Sport University Cologne, Koln, Germany
| | - Ferdinand Binkofski
- Clinical Cognitive Sciences, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen , Germany
| | - Ingo Helmich
- Department of Motor Behavior in Sports, German Sport University Cologne, Koln, Germany
- Department of Exercise and Sport Studies, Smith College, Northampton, United States
- Department of Neurology, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychiatry, German Sport University Cologne, Koln, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Beard K, Gauff AK, Pennington AM, Marion DW, Smith J, Sloley S. Biofluid, Imaging, Physiological, and Functional Biomarkers of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury and Subconcussive Head Impacts. J Neurotrauma 2024. [PMID: 38943278 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2024.0136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Post-concussive symptoms are frequently reported by individuals who sustain mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBIs) and subconcussive head impacts, even when evidence of intracranial pathology is lacking. Current strategies used to evaluate head injuries, which primarily rely on self-report, have a limited ability to predict the incidence, severity, and duration of post-concussive symptoms that will develop in an individual patient. In addition, these self-report measures have little association with the underlying mechanisms of pathology that may contribute to persisting symptoms, impeding advancement in precision treatment for TBI. Emerging evidence suggests that biofluid, imaging, physiological, and functional biomarkers associated with mTBI and subconcussive head impacts may address these shortcomings by providing more objective measures of injury severity and underlying pathology. Interest in the use of biomarker data has rapidly accelerated, which is reflected by the recent efforts of organizations such as the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to prioritize the collection of biomarker data during TBI characterization in acute-care settings. Thus, this review aims to describe recent progress in the identification and development of biomarkers of mTBI and subconcussive head impacts and to discuss important considerations for the implementation of these biomarkers in clinical practice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kryshawna Beard
- General Dynamics Information Technology Fairfax, Falls Church, Virginia, USA
- Traumatic Brain Injury Center of Excellence, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Amina K Gauff
- Traumatic Brain Injury Center of Excellence, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
- Xynergie Federal, LLC, San Juan, United States Minor Outlying Islands
| | - Ashley M Pennington
- Traumatic Brain Injury Center of Excellence, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
- Xynergie Federal, LLC, San Juan, United States Minor Outlying Islands
| | - Donald W Marion
- General Dynamics Information Technology Fairfax, Falls Church, Virginia, USA
- Traumatic Brain Injury Center of Excellence, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Johanna Smith
- Traumatic Brain Injury Center of Excellence, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Stephanie Sloley
- Traumatic Brain Injury Center of Excellence, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Boltz AJ, Lempke LB, Syrydiuk RA, Duma S, Pasquina P, McAllister TW, McCrea M, Chandran A, Broglio SP. Association of Sport Helmet Status on Concussion Presentation and Recovery in Male Collegiate Student-Athletes. Ann Biomed Eng 2024:10.1007/s10439-024-03575-0. [PMID: 38977528 DOI: 10.1007/s10439-024-03575-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Sporting helmets contain force attenuating materials which reduce traumatic head injury risk and may influence sport-related concussion (SRC) sequelae. The purpose of this study was to examine the association of sport helmet status with SRC-clinical presentation and recovery trajectories in men's collegiate athletes. Sport helmet status was based on the nature of sports being either helmeted/non-helmeted. 1070 SRCs in helmeted (HELM) sports (Men's-Football, Ice Hockey, and Lacrosse), and 399 SRCs in non-helmeted (NOHELM) sports (Men's-Basketball, Cheerleading, Cross Country/Track & Field, Diving, Gymnastics, Soccer, Swimming, Tennis, and Volleyball) were analyzed. Multivariable negative binomial regression models analyzed associations between sport helmet status and post-injury cognition, balance, and symptom severity, adjusting for covariate effects (SRC history, loss of consciousness, anterograde/retrograde amnesia, event type). Kaplan-Meier curves evaluated median days to: initiation of return to play (iRTP) protocol, and unrestricted RTP (URTP) by sport helmet status. Log-rank tests were used to evaluate differential iRTP/URTP between groups. Two independent multivariable Weibull accelerated failure time models were used to examine differential iRTP and URTP between groups, after adjusting for aforementioned covariates and symptom severity score. Overall, the median days to iRTP and URTP was 6.3 and 12.0, respectively, and was comparable across NOHELM- and HELM-SRCs. Post-injury symptom severity was lower (Score Ratio 0.90, 95%CI 0.82, 0.98), and cognitive test performance was higher (Score Ratio 1.03, 95%CI 1.02, 1.05) in NOHELM-compared to HELM-SRCs. Estimated time spent recovering to iRTP/URTP was comparable between sport helmet status groups. Findings suggest that the grouping of sports into helmeted and non-helmeted show slight differences in clinical presentation but not recovery.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adrian J Boltz
- Michigan Concussion Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
- Michigan Concussion Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
| | - Landon B Lempke
- Michigan Concussion Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Reid A Syrydiuk
- Michigan Concussion Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Stefan Duma
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Paul Pasquina
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Thomas W McAllister
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Michael McCrea
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
- Department of Neurology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Avinash Chandran
- Datalys Center for Sports Injury Research and Prevention, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Steven P Broglio
- Michigan Concussion Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Recht G, Hou J, Buddenbaum C, Cheng H, Newman SD, Saykin AJ, Kawata K. Multiparameter cortical surface morphology in former amateur contact sport athletes. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae301. [PMID: 39077916 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae301] [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: 04/26/2024] [Revised: 06/29/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/31/2024] Open
Abstract
The lifetime effects of repetitive head impacts have captured considerable public and scientific interest over the past decade, yet a knowledge gap persists in our understanding of midlife neurological well-being, particularly in amateur level athletes. This study aimed to identify the effects of lifetime exposure to sports-related head impacts on brain morphology in retired, amateur athletes. This cross-sectional study comprised of 37 former amateur contact sports athletes and 21 age- and sex-matched noncontact athletes. High-resolution anatomical, T1 scans were analyzed for the cortical morphology, including cortical thickness, sulcal depth, and sulcal curvature, and cognitive function was assessed using the Dementia Rating Scale-2. Despite no group differences in cognitive functions, the contact group exhibited significant cortical thinning particularly in the bilateral frontotemporal regions and medial brain regions, such as the cingulate cortex and precuneus, compared to the noncontact group. Deepened sulcal depth and increased sulcal curvature across all four lobes of the brain were also notable in the contact group. These data suggest that brain morphology of middle-aged former amateur contact athletes differs from that of noncontact athletes and that lifetime exposure to repetitive head impacts may be associated with neuroanatomical changes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Grace Recht
- Department of Kinesiology, Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington, 1025 E. 10th Street, Bloomington, IN 47405, United States
| | - Jiancheng Hou
- Department of Kinesiology, Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington, 1025 E. 10th Street, Bloomington, IN 47405, United States
- Research Center for Cross-Straits Cultural Development, Fujian Normal University, Cangshan Campus, No. 8 Shangshan Road, Cangshan District, Fuzhou, Fujian 350007, China
| | - Claire Buddenbaum
- Department of Kinesiology, Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington, 1025 E. 10th Street, Bloomington, IN 47405, United States
| | - Hu Cheng
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, Indiana University, 1101 E. 10th Street, Bloomington, IN 47405, United States
- Program in Neuroscience, The College of Arts and Sciences, Indiana University, 1101 East 10th Street, Bloomington, IN 47405, United States
| | - Sharlene D Newman
- Alabama Life Research Institute, College of Arts & Sciences, University of Alabama, 211 Peter Bryce Blvd., Tuscaloosa, AL 35401, United States
| | - Andrew J Saykin
- Indiana Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, 355 West 16th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202, United States
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Indiana University School of Medicine, 550 University Blvd, Indianapolis, IN 46202, United States
| | - Keisuke Kawata
- Department of Kinesiology, Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington, 1025 E. 10th Street, Bloomington, IN 47405, United States
- Program in Neuroscience, The College of Arts and Sciences, Indiana University, 1101 East 10th Street, Bloomington, IN 47405, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, 1130 W Michigan St, Indianapolis, IN 46202, United States
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Jain D, Porfido T, de Souza NL, Brown AM, Caccese JB, Czykier A, Dennis EL, Tosto-Mancuso J, Wilde EA, Esopenko C. Neural Mechanisms Associated With Postural Control in Collegiate Soccer and Non-Soccer Athletes. J Neurol Phys Ther 2024; 48:151-158. [PMID: 38709008 DOI: 10.1097/npt.0000000000000476] [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: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Sport-specific training may improve postural control, while repetitive head acceleration events (RHAEs) may compromise it. Understanding the neural mechanisms underlying postural control may contextualize changes due to training and RHAE. The goal of this study was to determine whether postural sway during the Balance Error Scoring System (BESS) is related to white matter organization (WMO) in collegiate athletes. METHODS Collegiate soccer ( N = 33) and non-soccer athletes ( N = 44) completed BESS and diffusion tensor imaging. Postural sway during each BESS stance, fractional anisotropy (FA), and mean diffusivity (MD) were extracted for each participant. Partial least squares analyses determined group differences in postural sway and WMO and the relationship between postural sway and WMO in soccer and non-soccer athletes separately. RESULTS Soccer athletes displayed better performance during BESS 6, with lower FA and higher MD in the medial lemniscus (ML) and inferior cerebellar peduncle (ICP), compared to non-soccer athletes. In soccer athletes, lower sway during BESS 2, 5, and 6 was associated with higher FA and lower MD in the corticospinal tract, ML, and ICP. In non-soccer athletes, lower sway during BESS 2 and 4 was associated with higher FA and lower MD in the ML and ICP. BESS 1 was associated with higher FA, and BESS 3 was associated with lower MD in the same tracts in non-soccer athletes. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS Soccer and non-soccer athletes showed unique relationships between sway and WMO, suggesting that sport-specific exposures are partly responsible for changes in neurological structure and accompanying postural control performance and should be considered when evaluating postural control after injury.Video Abstract available for more insights from the authors (see the Video, Supplemental Digital Content, available at: http://links.lww.com/JNPT/A472 ).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Divya Jain
- Divya Jain and Tara Porfido are considering as co-first authors. Department of Rehabilitation and Human Performance, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York (D.J., N.L.D., A.C., C.E.); Department of Rehabilitation & Movement Sciences, School of Health Professions, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, Newark, New Jersey (T.P., A.M.B.); School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio (J.B.C.); Department of Neurology, University of Utah (E.L.D., E.A.W.); George E. Wahlen Veterans Affairs Salt Lake City Healthcare System, Salt Lake City, Utah (E.L.D., E.A.W.); and Abilities Research Center, Department of Rehabilitation and Human Performance, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York (J.T.-M.)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
8
|
Tayebi M, Kwon E, Maller J, McGeown J, Scadeng M, Qiao M, Wang A, Nielsen P, Fernandez J, Holdsworth S, Shim V. Integration of diffusion tensor imaging parameters with mesh morphing for in-depth analysis of brain white matter fibre tracts. Brain Commun 2024; 6:fcae027. [PMID: 38638147 PMCID: PMC11024816 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcae027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Averaging is commonly used for data reduction/aggregation to analyse high-dimensional MRI data, but this often leads to information loss. To address this issue, we developed a novel technique that integrates diffusion tensor metrics along the whole volume of the fibre bundle using a 3D mesh-morphing technique coupled with principal component analysis for delineating case and control groups. Brain diffusion tensor MRI scans of high school rugby union players (n = 30, age 16-18) were acquired on a 3 T MRI before and after the sports season. A non-contact sport athlete cohort with matching demographics (n = 12) was also scanned. The utility of the new method in detecting differences in diffusion tensor metrics of the right corticospinal tract between contact and non-contact sport athletes was explored. The first step was to run automated tractography on each subject's native space. A template model of the right corticospinal tract was generated and morphed into each subject's native shape and space, matching individual geometry and diffusion metric distributions with minimal information loss. The common dimension of the 20 480 diffusion metrics allowed further data aggregation using principal component analysis to cluster the case and control groups as well as visualization of diffusion metric statistics (mean, ±2 SD). Our approach of analysing the whole volume of white matter tracts led to a clear delineation between the rugby and control cohort, which was not possible with the traditional averaging method. Moreover, our approach accounts for the individual subject's variations in diffusion tensor metrics to visualize group differences in quantitative MR data. This approach may benefit future prediction models based on other quantitative MRI methods.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Tayebi
- Auckland Bioengineering Institute, The University of Auckland, Auckland, 1010, New Zealand
- Mātai Medical Research Institute, Gisborne, 4010, New Zealand
| | - Eryn Kwon
- Auckland Bioengineering Institute, The University of Auckland, Auckland, 1010, New Zealand
- Mātai Medical Research Institute, Gisborne, 4010, New Zealand
| | | | - Josh McGeown
- Mātai Medical Research Institute, Gisborne, 4010, New Zealand
| | - Miriam Scadeng
- Mātai Medical Research Institute, Gisborne, 4010, New Zealand
- Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, 1023, New Zealand
| | - Miao Qiao
- Department of Computer Science, The University of Auckland, Auckland, 1010, New Zealand
| | - Alan Wang
- Auckland Bioengineering Institute, The University of Auckland, Auckland, 1010, New Zealand
- Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, 1023, New Zealand
| | - Poul Nielsen
- Auckland Bioengineering Institute, The University of Auckland, Auckland, 1010, New Zealand
- Department of Engineering Science, The University of Auckland, Auckland, 1010, New Zealand
| | - Justin Fernandez
- Auckland Bioengineering Institute, The University of Auckland, Auckland, 1010, New Zealand
- Mātai Medical Research Institute, Gisborne, 4010, New Zealand
- Department of Engineering Science, The University of Auckland, Auckland, 1010, New Zealand
| | - Samantha Holdsworth
- Mātai Medical Research Institute, Gisborne, 4010, New Zealand
- Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, 1023, New Zealand
| | - Vickie Shim
- Auckland Bioengineering Institute, The University of Auckland, Auckland, 1010, New Zealand
- Mātai Medical Research Institute, Gisborne, 4010, New Zealand
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Alosco ML, White M, Bell C, Faheem F, Tripodis Y, Yhang E, Baucom Z, Martin B, Palmisano J, Dams-O'Connor K, Crary JF, Goldstein LE, Katz DI, Dwyer B, Daneshvar DH, Nowinski C, Cantu RC, Kowall NW, Stern RA, Alvarez VE, Huber BR, Stein TD, McKee AC, Mez J. Cognitive, functional, and neuropsychiatric correlates of regional tau pathology in autopsy-confirmed chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Mol Neurodegener 2024; 19:10. [PMID: 38317248 PMCID: PMC10845638 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-023-00697-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by hyperphosphorylated tau (p-tau) accumulation. The clinical features associated with CTE pathology are unclear. In brain donors with autopsy-confirmed CTE, we investigated the association of CTE p-tau pathology density and location with cognitive, functional, and neuropsychiatric symptoms. METHODS In 364 brain donors with autopsy confirmed CTE, semi-quantitative p-tau severity (range: 0-3) was assessed in 10 cortical and subcortical regions. We summed ratings across regions to form a p-tau severity global composite (range: 0-30). Informants completed standardized scales of cognition (Cognitive Difficulties Scale, CDS; BRIEF-A Metacognition Index, MI), activities of daily living (Functional Activities Questionnaire), neurobehavioral dysregulation (BRIEF-A Behavioral Regulation Index, BRI; Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, BIS-11), aggression (Brown-Goodwin Aggression Scale), depression (Geriatric Depression Scale-15, GDS-15), and apathy (Apathy Evaluation Scale, AES). Ordinary least squares regression models examined associations between global and regional p-tau severity (separate models for each region) with each clinical scale, adjusting for age at death, racial identity, education level, and history of hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea, and substance use treatment. Ridge regression models that incorporated p-tau severity across all regions in the same model assessed which regions showed independent effects. RESULTS The sample was predominantly American football players (333; 91.2%); 140 (38.5%) had low CTE and 224 (61.5%) had high CTE. Global p-tau severity was associated with higher (i.e., worse) scores on the cognitive and functional scales: MI ([Formula: see text] standardized = 0.02, 95%CI = 0.01-0.04), CDS ([Formula: see text] standardized = 0.02, 95%CI = 0.01-0.04), and FAQ ([Formula: see text] standardized = 0.03, 95%CI = 0.01-0.04). After false-discovery rate correction, p-tau severity in the frontal, inferior parietal, and superior temporal cortex, and the amygdala was associated with higher CDS ([Formula: see text] sstandardized = 0.17-0.29, ps < 0.01) and FAQ ([Formula: see text] sstandardized = 0.21-0.26, ps < 0.01); frontal and inferior parietal cortex was associated with higher MI ([Formula: see text] sstandardized = 0.21-0.29, ps < 0.05); frontal cortex was associated with higher BRI ([Formula: see text] standardized = 0.21, p < 0.01). Regions with effects independent of other regions included frontal cortex (CDS, MI, FAQ, BRI), inferior parietal cortex (CDS) and amygdala (FAQ). P-tau explained 13-49% of variance in cognitive and functional scales and 6-14% of variance in neuropsychiatric scales. CONCLUSION Accumulation of p-tau aggregates, especially in the frontal cortex, are associated with cognitive, functional, and certain neurobehavioral symptoms in CTE.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael L Alosco
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Center and CTE Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Micaela White
- Davis School of Medicine, University of California, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Carter Bell
- Department of Neurology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Farwa Faheem
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Center and CTE Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yorghos Tripodis
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Center and CTE Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Eukyung Yhang
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Zachary Baucom
- 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
| | - Kristen Dams-O'Connor
- Department of Rehabilitation and Human Performance, Brain Injury Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - John F Crary
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Pathology, Molecular and Cell-Based Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Lee E Goldstein
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Center and CTE Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Department 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
- Department of Neurology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Braintree Rehabilitation Hospital, Braintree, MA, USA
| | - Brigid Dwyer
- Department of Neurology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Braintree Rehabilitation Hospital, Braintree, MA, USA
| | - Daniel H Daneshvar
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Christopher Nowinski
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Center and CTE Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Concussion Legacy Foundation, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Robert C Cantu
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Center and CTE Center, 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 Center and CTE Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Robert A Stern
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Center and CTE Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- 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 Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Victor E Alvarez
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Center and CTE Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- System, U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, VA Boston Healthcare, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bedford, MA, USA
| | - Bertrand Russell Huber
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Center and CTE Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- System, U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, VA Boston Healthcare, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bedford, MA, USA
| | - Thor D Stein
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Center and CTE Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- System, U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, VA Boston Healthcare, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bedford, MA, USA
| | - Ann C McKee
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Center and CTE Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- System, U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, VA Boston Healthcare, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bedford, MA, USA
| | - Jesse Mez
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Center and CTE Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Zuidema TR, Hou J, Kercher KA, Recht GO, Sweeney SH, Chenchaiah N, Cheng H, Steinfeldt JA, Kawata K. Cerebral Cortical Surface Structure and Neural Activation Pattern Among Adolescent Football Players. JAMA Netw Open 2024; 7:e2354235. [PMID: 38300622 PMCID: PMC10835513 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.54235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Importance Recurring exposure to head impacts in American football has garnered public and scientific attention, yet neurobiological associations in adolescent football players remain unclear. Objective To examine cortical structure and neurophysiological characteristics in adolescent football players. Design, Setting, and Participants This cohort study included adolescent football players and control athletes (swimming, cross country, and tennis) from 5 high school athletic programs, who were matched with age, sex (male), and school. Neuroimaging assessments were conducted May to July of the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Data were analyzed from February to November 2023. Exposure Playing tackle football or noncontact sports. Main Outcomes and Measures Structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data were analyzed for cortical thickness, sulcal depth, and gyrification, and cortical surface-based resting state (RS)-functional MRI analyses examined the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF), regional homogeneity (ReHo), and RS-functional connectivity (RS-FC). Results Two-hundred seventy-five male participants (205 football players; mean [SD] age, 15.8 [1.2] years; 5 Asian [2.4%], 8 Black or African American [3.9%], and 189 White [92.2%]; 70 control participants; mean [SD] age 15.8 [1.2] years, 4 Asian [5.7], 1 Black or African American [1.4%], and 64 White [91.5%]) were included in this study. Relative to the control group, the football group showed significant cortical thinning, especially in fronto-occipital regions (eg, right precentral gyrus: t = -2.24; P = .01; left superior frontal gyrus: -2.42; P = .002). Elevated cortical thickness in football players was observed in the anterior and posterior cingulate cortex (eg, left posterior cingulate cortex: t = 2.28; P = .01; right caudal anterior cingulate cortex 3.01; P = .001). The football group had greater and deeper sulcal depth than the control groups in the cingulate cortex, precuneus, and precentral gyrus (eg, right inferior parietal lobule: t = 2.20; P = .004; right caudal anterior cingulate cortex: 4.30; P < .001). Significantly lower ALFF was detected in the frontal lobe and cingulate cortex of the football group (t = -3.66 to -4.92; P < .01), whereas elevated ALFF was observed in the occipital regions (calcarine and lingual gyrus, t = 3.20; P < .01). Similar to ALFF, football players exhibited lower ReHo in the precentral gyrus and medial aspects of the brain, such as precuneus, insula, and cingulum, whereas elevated ReHo was clustered in the occipitotemporal regions (t = 3.17; P < .001; to 4.32; P < .01). There was no group difference in RS-FC measures. Conclusions and Relevance In this study of adolescent athletes, there was evidence of discernible structural and physiological differences in the brains of adolescent football players compared with their noncontact controls. Many of the affected brain regions were associated with mental health well-being.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Taylor R. Zuidema
- Department of Kinesiology, Indiana University School of Public Health, Bloomington
- Program in Neuroscience, The College of Arts and Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington
| | - Jiancheng Hou
- Department of Kinesiology, Indiana University School of Public Health, Bloomington
- Research Center for Cross-Straits Cultural Development, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Kyle A. Kercher
- Department of Kinesiology, Indiana University School of Public Health, Bloomington
| | - Grace O. Recht
- Department of Kinesiology, Indiana University School of Public Health, Bloomington
| | - Sage H. Sweeney
- Department of Kinesiology, Indiana University School of Public Health, Bloomington
| | - Nishant Chenchaiah
- Department of Kinesiology, Indiana University School of Public Health, Bloomington
| | - Hu Cheng
- Program in Neuroscience, The College of Arts and Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington
| | - Jesse A. Steinfeldt
- Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology, School of Education, Indiana University, Bloomington
| | - Keisuke Kawata
- Department of Kinesiology, Indiana University School of Public Health, Bloomington
- Program in Neuroscience, The College of Arts and Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington
- Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Le Flao E, Lenetsky S, Siegmund GP, Borotkanics R. Capturing Head Impacts in Boxing: A Video-Based Comparison of Three Wearable Sensors. Ann Biomed Eng 2024; 52:270-281. [PMID: 37728812 DOI: 10.1007/s10439-023-03369-w] [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: 05/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023]
Abstract
Wearable sensors are used to quantify head impacts in athletes, but recent work has shown that the number of events recorded may not be accurate. This study aimed to compare the number of head acceleration events recorded by three wearable sensors during boxing and assess how impact type and location affect the triggering of acceleration events. Seven boxers were equipped with an instrumented mouthguard, a skin patch, and a headgear patch. Contacts to participants' heads were identified via three video cameras over 115 sparring rounds. The resulting 5168 video-identified events were used as reference to quantify the sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value (PPV) of the sensors. The mouthguard, skin patch, and headgear patch recorded 695, 1579, and 1690 events, respectively, yielding sensitivities of 35%, 86%, and 78%, respectively, and specificities of 90%, 76%, and 75%, respectively. The mouthguard, skin patch, and headgear patch yielded 693, 1571, and 1681 true-positive events, respectively, leading to PPVs for head impacts over 96%. All three sensors were more likely to be triggered by punches landing near the sensor and cleanly on the head, although the mouthguard's sensitivity to impact location varied less than the patches. While the use of head impact sensors for assessing injury risks remains uncertain, this study provides valuable insights into the capabilities and limitations of these sensors in capturing video-verified head impact events.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Enora Le Flao
- Faculty of Health and Environmental Science, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand.
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
| | - Seth Lenetsky
- Faculty of Health and Environmental Science, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand
- Canadian Sport Institute Pacific, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Gunter P Siegmund
- MEA Forensic Engineers & Scientists, Laguna Hills, CA, USA
- School of Kinesiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Robert Borotkanics
- Faculty of Health and Environmental Science, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Fitzgerald B, Bari S, Vike N, Lee TA, Lycke RJ, Auger JD, Leverenz LJ, Nauman E, Goñi J, Talavage TM. Longitudinal changes in resting state fMRI brain self-similarity of asymptomatic high school American football athletes. Sci Rep 2024; 14:1747. [PMID: 38243048 PMCID: PMC10799081 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-51688-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024] Open
Abstract
American football has become the focus of numerous studies highlighting a growing concern that cumulative exposure to repetitive, sports-related head acceleration events (HAEs) may have negative consequences for brain health, even in the absence of a diagnosed concussion. In this longitudinal study, brain functional connectivity was analyzed in a cohort of high school American football athletes over a single play season and compared against participants in non-collision high school sports. Football athletes underwent four resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging sessions: once before (pre-season), twice during (in-season), and once 34-80 days after the contact activities play season ended (post-season). For each imaging session, functional connectomes (FCs) were computed for each athlete and compared across sessions using a metric reflecting the (self) similarity between two FCs. HAEs were monitored during all practices and games throughout the season using head-mounted sensors. Relative to the pre-season scan session, football athletes exhibited decreased FC self-similarity at the later in-season session, with apparent recovery of self-similarity by the time of the post-season session. In addition, both within and post-season self-similarity was correlated with cumulative exposure to head acceleration events. These results suggest that repetitive exposure to HAEs produces alterations in functional brain connectivity and highlight the necessity of collision-free recovery periods for football athletes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bradley Fitzgerald
- Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
| | - Sumra Bari
- Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
- Department of Computer Science, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Nicole Vike
- Department of Computer Science, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Taylor A Lee
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Roy J Lycke
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Joshua D Auger
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Larry J Leverenz
- Department of Health and Kinesiology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Eric Nauman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Joaquín Goñi
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
- School of Industrial Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
- Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Thomas M Talavage
- Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Chen J, Chung S, Li T, Fieremans E, Novikov DS, Wang Y, Lui YW. Identifying relevant diffusion MRI microstructure biomarkers relating to exposure to repeated head impacts in contact sport athletes. Neuroradiol J 2023; 36:693-701. [PMID: 37212469 PMCID: PMC10649530 DOI: 10.1177/19714009231177396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Repeated head impacts (RHI) without concussion may cause long-term sequelae. A growing array of diffusion MRI metrics exist, both empiric and modeled and it is hard to know which are potentially important biomarkers. Common conventional statistical methods fail to consider interactions between metrics and rely on group-level comparisons. This study uses a classification pipeline as a means towards identifying important diffusion metrics associated with subconcussive RHI. METHODS 36 collegiate contact sport athletes and 45 non-contact sport controls from FITBIR CARE were included. Regional/whole brain WM statistics were computed from 7 diffusion metrics. Wrapper-based feature selection was applied to 5 classifiers representing a range of learning capacities. Best 2 classifiers were interpreted to identify the most RHI-related diffusion metrics. RESULTS Mean diffusivity (MD) and mean kurtosis (MK) are found to be the most important metrics for discriminating between athletes with and without RHI exposure history. Regional features outperformed global statistics. Linear approaches outperformed non-linear approaches with good generalizability (test AUC 0.80-0.81). CONCLUSION Feature selection and classification identifies diffusion metrics that characterize subconcussive RHI. Linear classifiers yield the best performance and mean diffusion, tissue microstructure complexity, and radial extra-axonal compartment diffusion (MD, MK, De,⊥) are found to be the most influential metrics. This work provides proof of concept that applying such approach to small, multidimensional dataset can be successful given attention to optimizing learning capacity without overfitting and serves an example of methods that lead to better understanding of the myriad of diffusion metrics as they relate to injury and disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Junbo Chen
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - Sohae Chung
- Center for Advanced Imaging Innovation and Research (CAI2R), Department of Radiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Bernard and Irene Schwartz Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Tianhao Li
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - Els Fieremans
- Center for Advanced Imaging Innovation and Research (CAI2R), Department of Radiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Bernard and Irene Schwartz Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Dmitry S Novikov
- Center for Advanced Imaging Innovation and Research (CAI2R), Department of Radiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Bernard and Irene Schwartz Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yao Wang
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - Yvonne W Lui
- Center for Advanced Imaging Innovation and Research (CAI2R), Department of Radiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Bernard and Irene Schwartz Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Smith JL, Diekfuss JA, Dudley JA, Ahluwalia V, Zuleger TM, Slutsky-Ganesh AB, Yuan W, Foss KDB, Gore RK, Myer GD, Allen JW. Visuo-vestibular and cognitive connections of the vestibular neuromatrix are conserved across age and injury populations. J Neuroimaging 2023; 33:1003-1014. [PMID: 37303280 DOI: 10.1111/jon.13136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Given the prevalence of vestibular dysfunction in pediatric concussion, there is a need to better understand pathophysiological disruptions within vestibular and associated cognitive, affective, and sensory-integrative networks. Although current research leverages established intrinsic connectivity networks, these are nonspecific for vestibular function, suggesting that a pathologically guided approach is warranted. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the generalizability of the previously identified "vestibular neuromatrix" in adults with and without postconcussive vestibular dysfunction to young athletes aged 14-17. METHODS This retrospective study leveraged resting-state functional MRI data from two sites. Site A included adults with diagnosed postconcussive vestibular impairment and healthy adult controls and Site B consisted of young athletes with preseason, postconcussion, and postseason time points (prospective longitudinal data). Adjacency matrices were generated from preprocessed resting-state data from each sample and assessed for overlap and network structure in MATLAB. RESULTS Analyses indicated the presence of a conserved "core" network of vestibular regions as well as areas subserving visual, spatial, and attentional processing. Other vestibular connections were also conserved across samples but were not linked to the "core" subnetwork by regions of interest included in this study. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that connections between central vestibular, visuospatial, and known intrinsic connectivity networks are conserved across adult and pediatric participants with and without concussion, evincing the significance of this expanded, vestibular-associated network. Our findings thus support this network as a workable model for investigation in future studies of dysfunction in young athlete populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy L Smith
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Jed A Diekfuss
- Emory Sports Performance and Research Center (SPARC), Flowery Branch, Georgia, USA
- Emory Sports Medicine Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Department of Orthopaedics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Jonathan A Dudley
- Pediatric Neuroimaging Research Consortium, Division of Radiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Vishwadeep Ahluwalia
- Georgia State University/Georgia Tech Center for Advanced Brain Imaging (CABI), Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Taylor M Zuleger
- Emory Sports Performance and Research Center (SPARC), Flowery Branch, Georgia, USA
- Emory Sports Medicine Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Department of Orthopaedics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Alexis B Slutsky-Ganesh
- Emory Sports Performance and Research Center (SPARC), Flowery Branch, Georgia, USA
- Department of Orthopaedics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Weihong Yuan
- Pediatric Neuroimaging Research Consortium, Division of Radiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
- Department of Radiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Kim D Barber Foss
- Emory Sports Performance and Research Center (SPARC), Flowery Branch, Georgia, USA
| | - Russell K Gore
- Mild TBI Brain Health and Recovery Lab, Shepherd Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Gregory D Myer
- Emory Sports Performance and Research Center (SPARC), Flowery Branch, Georgia, USA
- Emory Sports Medicine Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Department of Orthopaedics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Youth Physical Development Centre, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Wales, UK
| | - Jason W Allen
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Walter AE, Bai X, Wilkes J, Neuberger T, Sebastianelli W, Slobounov SM. Selective head cooling in the acute phase of concussive injury: a neuroimaging study. Front Neurol 2023; 14:1272374. [PMID: 37965166 PMCID: PMC10641407 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1272374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Neurovascular decoupling is a common consequence after brain injuries like sports-related concussion. Failure to appropriately match cerebral blood flow (CBF) with increases in metabolic demands of the brain can lead to alterations in neurological function and symptom presentation. Therapeutic hypothermia has been used in medicine for neuroprotection and has been shown to improve outcome. This study aimed to examine the real time effect of selective head cooling on healthy controls and concussed athletes via magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and arterial spin labeling (ASL) measures. Methods 24 participants (12 controls; 12 concussed) underwent study procedures including the Post-Concussion Symptom Severity (PCSS) Rating Form and an MRI cooling protocol (pre-cooling (T1 MPRAGE, ASL, single volume spectroscopy (SVS)); during cooling (ASL, SVS)). Results Results showed general decreases in brain temperature as a function of time for both groups. Repeated measures ANOVA showed a significant main effect of time (F = 7.94, p < 0.001) and group (F = 22.21, p < 0.001) on temperature, but no significant interaction of group and time (F = 1.36, p = 0.237). CBF assessed via ASL was non-significantly lower in concussed individuals at pre-cooling and generalized linear mixed model analyses demonstrated a significant main effect of time for the occipital left ROI (F = 11.29, p = 0.002) and occipital right ROI (F = 13.39, p = 0.001). There was no relationship between any MRI metric and PCSS symptom burden. Discussion These findings suggest the feasibility of MRS thermometry to monitor alterations of brain temperature in concussed athletes and that metabolic responses in response to cooling after concussion may differ from controls.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexa E. Walter
- Department of Kinesiology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
- Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Xiaoxiao Bai
- Social, Life, and Engineering Science Imaging Center, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - James Wilkes
- Department of Kinesiology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Thomas Neuberger
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, and Social, Life, and Engineering Science Imaging Center, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Wayne Sebastianelli
- Department of Athletic Medicine, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
- Department of Orthopaedics, Penn State Health, State College, PA, United States
| | - Semyon M. Slobounov
- Department of Kinesiology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
McIver KG, Lee P, Bucherl S, Talavage TM, Myer GD, Nauman EA. Design Considerations for the Attenuation of Translational and Rotational Accelerations in American Football Helmets. J Biomech Eng 2023; 145:061008. [PMID: 36628996 PMCID: PMC10782865 DOI: 10.1115/1.4056653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Participants in American football experience repetitive head impacts that induce negative changes in neurocognitive function over the course of a single season. This study aimed to quantify the transfer function connecting the force input to the measured output acceleration of the helmet system to provide a comparison of the impact attenuation of various modern American football helmets. Impact mitigation varied considerably between helmet models and with location for each helmet model. The current data indicate that helmet mass is a key variable driving force attenuation, however flexible helmet shells, helmet shell cutouts, and more compliant padding can improve energy absorption.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin G. McIver
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907
| | - Patrick Lee
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907
| | - Sean Bucherl
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907
| | - Thomas M. Talavage
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221; School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907
| | - Gregory D. Myer
- Emory Sports Performance and Research Center (SPARC), Flowery Branch, GA 30542; Emory Sports Medicine Center, Atlanta, GA 30329; Department of Orthopaedics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30329; The Micheli Center for Sports Injury Prevention, Waltham, MA 02452
| | - Eric A. Nauman
- Dane A. and Mary Louise Miller Professor Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Cincinnati, 2901 Woodside Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45221
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Koerte IK, Wiegand TLT, Bonke EM, Kochsiek J, Shenton ME. Diffusion Imaging of Sport-related Repetitive Head Impacts-A Systematic Review. Neuropsychol Rev 2023; 33:122-143. [PMID: 36508043 PMCID: PMC9998592 DOI: 10.1007/s11065-022-09566-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Repetitive head impacts (RHI) are commonly observed in athletes participating in contact sports such as American football, ice hockey, and soccer. RHI usually do not result in acute symptoms and are therefore often referred to as subclinical or "subconcussive" head impacts. Epidemiological studies report an association between exposure to RHI and an increased risk for the development of neurodegenerative diseases. Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) has emerged as particularly promising for the detection of subtle alterations in brain microstructure following exposure to sport-related RHI. The purpose of this study was to perform a systematic review of studies investigating the effects of exposure to RHI on brain microstructure using dMRI. We used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) to determine studies that met inclusion and exclusion criteria across three databases. Seventeen studies were identified and critically evaluated. Results from these studies suggest an association between white matter alterations and RHI exposure in youth and young adult athletes. The most consistent finding across studies was lower or decreased fractional anisotropy (FA), a measure of the directionality of the diffusion of water molecules, associated with greater exposure to sport-related RHI. Whether decreased FA is associated with functional outcome (e.g., cognition) in those exposed to RHI is yet to be determined. This review further identified areas of importance for future research to increase the diagnostic and prognostic value of dMRI in RHI and to improve our understanding of the effects of RHI on brain physiology and microstructure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Inga K Koerte
- cBRAIN, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany. .,Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Mass General Brigham, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA. .,Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany.
| | - Tim L T Wiegand
- cBRAIN, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany.,Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Mass General Brigham, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Elena M Bonke
- cBRAIN, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany.,Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Mass General Brigham, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany
| | - Janna Kochsiek
- cBRAIN, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany.,Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Mass General Brigham, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Martha E Shenton
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Mass General Brigham, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Mass General Brigham, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Raikes AC, Hernandez GD, Mullins VA, Wang Y, Lopez C, Killgore WDS, Chilton FH, Brinton RD. Effects of docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaoic acid supplementation on white matter integrity after repetitive sub-concussive head impacts during American football: Exploratory neuroimaging findings from a pilot RCT. Front Neurol 2022; 13:891531. [PMID: 36188406 PMCID: PMC9521411 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.891531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Context Repetitive sub-concussive head impacts (RSHIs) are common in American football and result in changes to the microstructural integrity of white matter. Both docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaoic acid (EPA) supplementation exerted neuroprotective effects against RSHIs in animal models and in a prior study in football players supplemented with DHA alone. Objective Here, we present exploratory neuroimaging outcomes from a randomized controlled trial of DHA + EPA supplementation in American football players. We hypothesized that supplementation would result in less white matter integrity loss on diffusion weighted imaging over the season. Design setting participants We conducted a double-blind placebo-controlled trial in 38 American football players between June 2019 and January 2020. Intervention Participants were randomized to the treatment (2.442 g/day DHA and 1.020 g/day EPA) or placebo group for five times-per-week supplementation for 7 months. Of these, 27 participants were included in the neuroimaging data analysis (n = 16 placebo; n = 11 DHA + EPA). Exploratory outcome measures Changes in white matter integrity were quantified using both voxelwise diffusion kurtosis scalars and deterministic tractography at baseline and end of season. Additional neuroimaging outcomes included changes in regional gray matter volume as well as intra-regional, edge-wise, and network level functional connectivity. Serum neurofilament light (NfL) provided a peripheral biomarker of axonal damage. Results No voxel-wise between-group differences were identified on diffusion tensor metrics. Deterministic tractography using quantitative anisotropy (QA) revealed increased structural connectivity in ascending corticostriatal fibers and decreased connectivity in long association and commissural fibers in the DHA+EPA group compared to the placebo group. Serum NfL increases were correlated with increased mean (ρ = 0.47), axial (ρ = 0.44), and radial (ρ = 0.51) diffusivity and decreased QA (ρ = -0.52) in the corpus callosum and bilateral corona radiata irrespective of treatment group. DHA + EPA supplementation did preserve default mode/frontoparietal control network connectivity (g = 0.96, p = 0.024). Conclusions These exploratory findings did not provide strong evidence that DHA + EPA prevented or protected against axonal damage as quantified via neuroimaging. Neuroprotective effects on functional connectivity were observed despite white matter damage. Further studies with larger samples are needed to fully establish the relationship between omega-3 supplementation, RSHIs, and neuroimaging biomarkers. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov-NCT04796207.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adam C. Raikes
- Center for Innovation in Brain Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Gerson D. Hernandez
- Center for Innovation in Brain Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Veronica A. Mullins
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Yiwei Wang
- Center for Innovation in Brain Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Claudia Lopez
- Center for Innovation in Brain Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - William D. S. Killgore
- Social, Cognitive, and Affective Neuroscience Lab, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Floyd H. Chilton
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Roberta D. Brinton
- Center for Innovation in Brain Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Mannix R, Kawata K, Bazarian JJ. Defining an Approach to Monitoring Brain Health in Individuals Exposed to Repetitive Head Impacts: Lessons Learned from Radiation Safety. J Neurotrauma 2022; 39:897-901. [PMID: 35848096 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2022.29130.rm] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Recently, there has been increased concern over the effect of repetitive head impacts (RHIs, both concussive and subconcussive impacts) on long-term brain health. This concern has led researchers and policy makers to consider establishing RHI thresholds in order to mitigate the potential long-term effects of RHI exposure. However, the concept of thresholding relies on twin streams of information: 1) biomedical research relevant to the short and long-term risks of exposure to RHIs, and 2) societal standards for "acceptable risk." In the case of RHI, these streams of information have not been cogently combined to inform sensible policy making. In the current editorial, we discuss how the history of radiation safety provides an instructive example of an approach to ford these two streams to derive actionable clinically relevant policies surrounding RHI exposures.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rebekah Mannix
- Department of Medicine, Division of Emergency Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Keisuke Kawata
- Department of Kinesiology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
| | - Jeffrey J Bazarian
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Repeated Sub-Concussive Impacts and the Negative Effects of Contact Sports on Cognition and Brain Integrity. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19127098. [PMID: 35742344 PMCID: PMC9222631 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19127098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2022] [Revised: 05/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Sports are yielding a wealth of benefits for cardiovascular fitness, for psychological resilience, and for cognition. The amount of practice, and the type of practiced sports, are of importance to obtain these benefits and avoid any side effects. This is especially important in the context of contact sports. Contact sports are not only known to be a major source of injuries of the musculoskeletal apparatus, they are also significantly related to concussion and sub-concussion. Sub-concussive head impacts accumulate throughout the active sports career, and thus can cause measurable deficits and changes to brain health. Emerging research in the area of cumulative sub-concussions in contact sports has revealed several associated markers of brain injury. For example, recent studies discovered that repeated headers in soccer not only cause measurable signs of cognitive impairment but are also related to a prolonged cortical silent period in transcranial magnetic stimulation measurements. Other cognitive and neuroimaging biomarkers are also pointing to adverse effects of heading. A range of fluid biomarkers completes the picture of cumulating effects of sub-concussive impacts. Those accumulating effects can cause significant cognitive impairment later in life of active contact sportswomen and men. The aim of this review is to highlight the current scientific evidence on the effects of repeated sub-concussive head impacts on contact sports athletes’ brains, identify the areas in need of further investigation, highlight the potential of advanced neuroscientific methods, and comment on the steps governing bodies have made to address this issue. We conclude that there are indeed neural and biofluid markers that can help better understand the effects of repeated sub-concussive head impacts and that some aspects of contact sports should be redefined, especially in situations where sub-concussive impacts and concussions can be minimized.
Collapse
|
21
|
Functional, but Minimal Microstructural Brain Changes Present in Aging Canadian Football League Players Years After Retirement. BRAIN DISORDERS 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.dscb.2022.100036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
|
22
|
Kornaropoulos EN, Winzeck S, Rumetshofer T, Wikstrom A, Knutsson L, Correia MM, Sundgren PC, Nilsson M. Sensitivity of Diffusion MRI to White Matter Pathology: Influence of Diffusion Protocol, Magnetic Field Strength, and Processing Pipeline in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. Front Neurol 2022; 13:837385. [PMID: 35557624 PMCID: PMC9087851 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.837385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
There are many ways to acquire and process diffusion MRI (dMRI) data for group studies, but it is unknown which maximizes the sensitivity to white matter (WM) pathology. Inspired by this question, we analyzed data acquired for diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) at 3T (3T-DTI and 3T-DKI) and DTI at 7T in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and healthy controls (HC). Parameter estimates in 72 WM tracts were obtained using TractSeg. The impact on the sensitivity to WM pathology was evaluated for the diffusion protocol, the magnetic field strength, and the processing pipeline. Sensitivity was quantified in terms of Cohen's d for group comparison. Results showed that the choice of diffusion protocol had the largest impact on the effect size. The effect size in fractional anisotropy (FA) across all WM tracts was 0.26 higher when derived by DTI than by DKI and 0.20 higher in 3T compared with 7T. The difference due to the diffusion protocol was larger than the difference due to magnetic field strength for the majority of diffusion parameters. In contrast, the difference between including or excluding different processing steps was near negligible, except for the correction of distortions from eddy currents and motion which had a clearly positive impact. For example, effect sizes increased on average by 0.07 by including motion and eddy correction for FA derived from 3T-DTI. Effect sizes were slightly reduced by the incorporation of denoising and Gibbs-ringing removal (on average by 0.011 and 0.005, respectively). Smoothing prior to diffusion model fitting generally reduced effect sizes. In summary, 3T-DTI in combination with eddy current and motion correction yielded the highest sensitivity to WM pathology in patients with SLE. However, our results also indicated that the 3T-DKI and 7T-DTI protocols used here may be adjusted to increase effect sizes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Evgenios N. Kornaropoulos
- Clinical Sciences, Diagnostic Radiology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Division of Anaesthesia, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Stefan Winzeck
- Division of Anaesthesia, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- BioMedIA Group, Department of Computing, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Anna Wikstrom
- Clinical Sciences, Diagnostic Radiology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Linda Knutsson
- Department of Medical Radiation Physics, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
- F.M. Kirby Research Center, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Marta M. Correia
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Pia C. Sundgren
- Clinical Sciences, Diagnostic Radiology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Lund University BioImaging Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Department of Medical Imaging and Physiology, Skåne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden
| | - Markus Nilsson
- Clinical Sciences, Diagnostic Radiology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Salivary S100 calcium-binding protein beta (S100B) and neurofilament light (NfL) after acute exposure to repeated head impacts in collegiate water polo players. Sci Rep 2022; 12:3439. [PMID: 35236877 PMCID: PMC8891257 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-07241-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Blood-based biomarkers of brain injury may be useful for monitoring brain health in athletes at risk for concussions. Two putative biomarkers of sport-related concussion, neurofilament light (NfL), an axonal structural protein, and S100 calcium-binding protein beta (S100B), an astrocyte-derived protein, were measured in saliva, a biofluid which can be sampled in an athletic setting without the risks and burdens associated with blood sampled by venipuncture. Samples were collected from men’s and women’s collegiate water polo players (n = 65) before and after a competitive tournament. Head impacts were measured using sensors previously evaluated for use in water polo, and video recordings were independently reviewed for the purpose of validating impacts recorded by the sensors. Athletes sustained a total of 107 head impacts, all of which were asymptomatic (i.e., no athlete was diagnosed with a concussion or more serious). Post-tournament salivary NfL was directly associated with head impact frequency (RR = 1.151, p = 0.025) and cumulative head impact magnitude (RR = 1.008, p = 0.014), while controlling for baseline salivary NfL. Change in S100B was not associated with head impact exposure (RR < 1.001, p > 0.483). These patterns suggest that repeated head impacts may cause axonal injury, even in asymptomatic athletes.
Collapse
|
24
|
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.
Collapse
|
25
|
Diekfuss JA, Yuan W, Dudley JA, DiCesare CA, Panzer MB, Talavage TM, Nauman E, Bonnette S, Slutsky-Ganesh AB, Clark J, Anand M, Altaye M, Leach JL, Lamplot JD, Galloway M, Pombo MW, Hammond KE, Myer GD. Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Newer Helmet Designs with Emergent Shell and Padding Technologies Versus Older Helmet Models for Preserving White Matter Following a Season of High School Football. Ann Biomed Eng 2021; 49:2863-2874. [PMID: 34585336 DOI: 10.1007/s10439-021-02863-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
We aimed to objectively compare the effects of wearing newer, higher-ranked football helmets (HRank) vs. wearing older, lower-ranked helmets (LRank) on pre- to post-season alterations to neuroimaging-derived metrics of athletes' white matter. Fifty-four high-school athletes wore an HRank helmet, and 62 athletes wore an LRank helmet during their competitive football season and completed pre- and post-season diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Longitudinal within- and between-group DTI metrics [fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean/axial/radial diffusivity (MD, AD, RD)] were analyzed using tract-based spatial statistics. The LRank helmet group exhibited significant pre- to post-season reductions in MD, AD, and RD, the HRank helmet group displayed significant pre- to post-season increases in FA, and both groups showed significant pre- to post-season increases in AD (p's < .05 [corrected]). Between-group analyses revealed the pre- to post-season increase in AD was significantly less for athletes wearing HRank compared to LRank (p < .05 [corrected]). These data provide in vivo evidence that wearing an HRank helmet may be efficacious for preserving white matter from head impact exposure during high school football. Future prospective longitudinal investigations with complimentary imaging and behavioral outcomes are warranted to corroborate these initial in vivo findings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jed A Diekfuss
- Emory Sports Performance And Research Center (SPARC), Flowery Branch, GA, USA. .,Emory Sports Medicine Center, Atlanta, GA, USA. .,Department of Orthopaedics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| | - Weihong Yuan
- Pediatric Neuroimaging Research Consortium, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA.,Department of Radiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Jonathan A Dudley
- Pediatric Neuroimaging Research Consortium, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | | | - Matthew B Panzer
- Center for Applied Biomechanics, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Thomas M Talavage
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.,School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Eric Nauman
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.,School of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Scott Bonnette
- Division of Sports Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Alexis B Slutsky-Ganesh
- Emory Sports Performance And Research Center (SPARC), Flowery Branch, GA, USA.,Emory Sports Medicine Center, Atlanta, GA, USA.,Department of Orthopaedics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Joseph Clark
- Department of Neurology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Manish Anand
- Emory Sports Performance And Research Center (SPARC), Flowery Branch, GA, USA.,Emory Sports Medicine Center, Atlanta, GA, USA.,Department of Orthopaedics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Mekibib Altaye
- Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - James L Leach
- Department of Radiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA.,Division of Radiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Joseph D Lamplot
- Department of Orthopaedics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - Mathew W Pombo
- Department of Orthopaedics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Kyle E Hammond
- Department of Orthopaedics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Gregory D Myer
- Emory Sports Performance And Research Center (SPARC), Flowery Branch, GA, USA.,Emory Sports Medicine Center, Atlanta, GA, USA.,Department of Orthopaedics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.,The Micheli Center for Sports Injury Prevention, Waltham, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Zimmerman KA, Laverse E, Samra R, Yanez Lopez M, Jolly AE, Bourke NJ, Graham NSN, Patel MC, Hardy J, Kemp S, Morris HR, Sharp DJ. White matter abnormalities in active elite adult rugby players. Brain Commun 2021; 3:fcab133. [PMID: 34435188 PMCID: PMC8381344 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcab133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Revised: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The recognition, diagnosis and management of mild traumatic brain injuries are difficult and confusing. It is unclear how the severity and number of injuries sustained relate to brain injuries, such as diffuse axonal injury, diffuse vascular injury and progressive neurodegeneration. Advances in neuroimaging techniques enable the investigation of neuropathologies associated with acute and long-term effects of injury. Head injuries are the most commonly reported injury seen during professional rugby. There is increased vigilance for the immediate effects of these injuries in matches, but there has been surprisingly little research investigating the longer-term effects of rugby participation. Here, we present a longitudinal observational study investigating the relationship of exposure to rugby participation and sub-acute head injuries in professional adult male and female rugby union and league players using advanced MRI. Diffusion tensor imaging and susceptibility weighted imaging was used to assess white matter structure and evidence of axonal and diffuse vascular injury. We also studied changes in brain structure over time using Jacobian Determinant statistics extracted from serial volumetric imaging. We tested 41 male and 3 female adult elite rugby players, of whom 21 attended study visits after a head injury, alongside 32 non-sporting controls, 15 non-collision-sport athletic controls and 16 longitudinally assessed controls. Eighteen rugby players participated in the longitudinal arm of the study, with a second visit at least 6 months after their first scan. Neuroimaging evidence of either axonal injury or diffuse vascular injury was present in 23% (10/44) of players. In the non-acutely injured group of rugby players, abnormalities of fractional anisotropy and other diffusion measures were seen. In contrast, non-collision-sport athletic controls were not classified as showing abnormalities. A group level contrast also showed evidence of sub-acute injury using diffusion tensor imaging in rugby players. Examination of longitudinal imaging revealed unexpected reductions in white matter volume in the elite rugby players studied. These changes were not related to self-reported head injury history or neuropsychological test scores and might indicate excess neurodegeneration in white matter tracts affected by injury. Taken together, our findings suggest an association of participation in elite adult rugby with changes in brain structure. Further well-designed large-scale studies are needed to understand the impact of both repeated sports-related head impacts and head injuries on brain structure, and to clarify whether the abnormalities we have observed are related to an increased risk of neurodegenerative disease and impaired neurocognitive function following elite rugby participation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Karl A Zimmerman
- Computational, Cognitive and Clinical Neuroimaging Laboratory, Division of Brain Sciences, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, UK.,Care Research & Technology Centre, UK Dementia Research Institute, London W12 0BZ, UK
| | - Etienne Laverse
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neuroscience, University College London, London NW3 2PF, UK
| | - Ravjeet Samra
- Computational, Cognitive and Clinical Neuroimaging Laboratory, Division of Brain Sciences, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, UK
| | - Maria Yanez Lopez
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Amy E Jolly
- Computational, Cognitive and Clinical Neuroimaging Laboratory, Division of Brain Sciences, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, UK.,Care Research & Technology Centre, UK Dementia Research Institute, London W12 0BZ, UK
| | - Niall J Bourke
- Computational, Cognitive and Clinical Neuroimaging Laboratory, Division of Brain Sciences, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, UK.,Care Research & Technology Centre, UK Dementia Research Institute, London W12 0BZ, UK
| | - Neil S N Graham
- Computational, Cognitive and Clinical Neuroimaging Laboratory, Division of Brain Sciences, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, UK.,Care Research & Technology Centre, UK Dementia Research Institute, London W12 0BZ, UK
| | - Maneesh C Patel
- Imaging Department, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, Charing Cross Hospital, London W6 8RF, UK
| | - John Hardy
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Reta Lila Weston Laboratories, Queen Square Genomics, UCL Dementia Research Institute, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Simon Kemp
- Rugby Football Union, Twickenham, London TW2 7BA, UK.,Faculty of Epidemiology and Public Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Huw R Morris
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neuroscience, University College London, London NW3 2PF, UK
| | - David J Sharp
- Computational, Cognitive and Clinical Neuroimaging Laboratory, Division of Brain Sciences, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, UK.,Care Research & Technology Centre, UK Dementia Research Institute, London W12 0BZ, UK.,The Royal British Legion Centre for Blast Injury Studies, Imperial College London SW7 2AZ, UK
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Lees B, Earls NE, Meares S, Batchelor J, Oxenham V, Rae CD, Jugé L, Cysique LA. Diffusion Tensor Imaging in Sport-Related Concussion: A Systematic Review Using an a priori Quality Rating System. J Neurotrauma 2021; 38:3032-3046. [PMID: 34309410 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2021.0154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) of brain white matter (WM) may be useful for characterizing the nature and degree of brain injury after sport-related concussion (SRC) and assist in establishing objective diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. This study aimed to conduct a systematic review using an a priori quality rating strategy to determine the most consistent DTI-WM changes post-SRC. Articles published in English (until June 2020) were retrieved by standard research engine and gray literature searches (N = 4932), using PRISMA guidelines. Eligible studies were non-interventional naturalistic original studies that conducted DTI within 6 months of SRC in current athletes from all levels of play, types of sports, and sex. A total of 29 articles were included in the review, and after quality appraisal by two raters, data from 10 studies were extracted after being identified as high quality. High-quality studies showed widespread moderate-to-large WM differences when SRC samples were compared to controls during the acute to early chronic stage (days to weeks) post-SRC, including both increased and decreased fractional anisotropy and axial diffusivity and decreased mean diffusivity and radial diffusivity. WM differences remained stable in the chronic stage (2-6 months post-SRC). DTI metrics were commonly associated with SRC symptom severity, although standardized SRC diagnostics would improve future research. This indicates that microstructural recovery is often incomplete at return to play and may lag behind clinically assessed recovery measures. Future work should explore interindividual trajectories to improve understanding of the heterogeneous and dynamic WM patterns post-SRC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Briana Lees
- The Matilda Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Nicola E Earls
- Department of Psychology, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Susanne Meares
- Department of Psychology, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jennifer Batchelor
- Department of Psychology, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Vincent Oxenham
- Department of Psychology, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia.,Department of Neurology, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Caroline D Rae
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia.,School of Medical Sciences, UNSW Medicine, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Lauriane Jugé
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia.,School of Medical Sciences, UNSW Medicine, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Lucette A Cysique
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia.,St. Vincent's Hospital Applied Medical Research Centre, Peter Duncan Neuroscience, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,School of Psychology, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Johnson B, Walter AE, Wilkes JR, Papa L, Slobounov SM. Changes in White Matter of the Cervical Spinal Cord after a Single Season of Collegiate Football. Neurotrauma Rep 2021; 2:84-93. [PMID: 34223548 PMCID: PMC8240824 DOI: 10.1089/neur.2020.0035] [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] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The involvement of the central nervous system (CNS), specifically the white matter tracts in the cervical spinal cord, was examined with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) following exposure to repetitive head acceleration events (HAEs) after a single season of collegiate football. Fifteen National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 football players underwent DTI of the cervical spinal cord (vertebral level C1–4) at pre-season (before any contact practices began) and post-season (within 1 week of the last regular season game) intervals. Helmet accelerometer data were also collected in parallel throughout the season. From pre-season to post-season, a significant decrease (p < 0.05) of axial diffusivity was seen within the right spino-olivary tract. In addition, a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in global white matter fractional anisotropy (FA) along with increases (p < 0.05) in global white matter mean diffusivity (MD) and radial diffusivity (RD) were found. These changes in FA from pre-season to post-season were significantly moderated by previous concussion history (p < 0.05) and number of HAEs over 80 g (p < 0.05). Despite the absence of sports-related concussion (SRC), we present measurable changes in the white matter integrity of the cervical spinal cord suggesting injury from repetitive HAEs, or SRC, may include the entirety of the CNS, not just the brain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brian Johnson
- Department of Radiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Alexa E Walter
- Department of Kinesiology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - James R Wilkes
- Department of Kinesiology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Linda Papa
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Orlando Regional Medical Center, Orlando, Florida, USA.,Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Semyon M Slobounov
- Department of Kinesiology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Zhan X, Liu Y, Raymond S, Vahid Alizadeh H, Domel A, Gevaert O, Zeineh M, Grant G, Camarillo D. Rapid Estimation of Entire Brain Strain Using Deep Learning Models. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 2021; 68:3424-3434. [PMID: 33852381 DOI: 10.1109/tbme.2021.3073380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Many recent studies have suggested that brain deformation resulting from a head impact is linked to the corresponding clinical outcome, such as mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Even though several finite element (FE) head models have been developed and validated to calculate brain deformation based on impact kinematics, the clinical application of these FE head models is limited due to the time-consuming nature of FE simulations. This work aims to accelerate the process of brain deformation calculation and thus improve the potential for clinical applications. METHODS We propose a deep learning head model with a five-layer deep neural network and feature engineering, and trained and tested the model on 2511 total head impacts from a combination of head model simulations and on-field college football and mixed martial arts impacts. RESULTS The proposed deep learning head model can calculate the maximum principal strain (Green Lagrange) for every element in the entire brain in less than 0.001s with an average root mean squared error of 0.022, and with a standard deviation of 0.001 over twenty repeats with random data partition and model initialization. CONCLUSION Trained and tested using the dataset of 2511 head impacts, this model can be applied to various sports in the calculation of brain strain with accuracy, and its applicability can even further be extended by incorporating data from other types of head impacts. SIGNIFICANCE In addition to the potential clinical application in real-time brain deformation monitoring, this model will help researchers estimate the brain strain from a large number of head impacts more efficiently than using FE models.
Collapse
|
31
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Kawata K, Steinfeldt JA, Huibregtse ME, Nowak MK, Macy JT, Kercher K, Rettke DJ, Shin A, Chen Z, Ejima K, Newman SD, Cheng H. Association Between Proteomic Blood Biomarkers and DTI/NODDI Metrics in Adolescent Football Players: A Pilot Study. Front Neurol 2020; 11:581781. [PMID: 33304306 PMCID: PMC7701105 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2020.581781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
While neuroimaging and blood biomarker have been two of the most active areas of research in the neurotrauma community, these fields rarely intersect to delineate subconcussive brain injury. The aim of the study was to examine the association between diffusion MRI techniques [diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and neurite orientation/dispersion density imaging (NODDI)] and brain-injury blood biomarker levels [tau, neurofilament-light (NfL), glial-fibrillary-acidic-protein (GFAP)] in high-school football players at their baseline, aiming to detect cumulative neuronal damage from prior seasons. Twenty-five football players were enrolled in the study. MRI measures and blood samples were obtained during preseason data collection. The whole-brain, tract-based spatial statistics was conducted for six diffusion metrics: fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), axial/radial diffusivity (AD, RD), neurite density index (NDI), and orientation dispersion index (ODI). Five players were ineligible for MRIs, and three serum samples were excluded due to hemolysis, resulting in 17 completed set of diffusion metrics and blood biomarker levels for association analysis. Our permutation-based regression model revealed that serum tau levels were significantly associated with MD and NDI in various axonal tracts; specifically, elevated serum tau levels correlated to elevated MD (p = 0.0044) and reduced NDI (p = 0.016) in the corpus callosum and surrounding white matter tracts (e.g., longitudinal fasciculus). Additionally, there was a negative association between NfL and ODI in the focal area of the longitudinal fasciculus. Our data suggest that high school football players may develop axonal microstructural abnormality in the corpus callosum and surrounding white matter tracts, such as longitudinal fasciculus. A future study is warranted to determine the longitudinal multimodal relationship in response to repetitive exposure to sports-related head impacts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Keisuke Kawata
- Department of Kinesiology, School of Public Health-Bloomington, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
- Program in Neuroscience, College of Arts and Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Jesse A. Steinfeldt
- Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology, School of Education, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Megan E. Huibregtse
- Department of Kinesiology, School of Public Health-Bloomington, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Madeleine K. Nowak
- Department of Kinesiology, School of Public Health-Bloomington, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Jonathan T. Macy
- Department of Applied Health Science, School of Public Health-Bloomington, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Kyle Kercher
- Department of Applied Health Science, School of Public Health-Bloomington, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Devin J. Rettke
- Department of Kinesiology, School of Public Health-Bloomington, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Andrea Shin
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Zhongxue Chen
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health-Bloomington, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Keisuke Ejima
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health-Bloomington, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Sharlene D. Newman
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
- Alabama Life Research Institute, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, United States
| | - Hu Cheng
- Program in Neuroscience, College of Arts and Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
DiCesare CA, Green B, Yuan W, Diekfuss JA, Barber Foss KD, Dudley J, Qin Y, Wang P, Myer GD. Machine Learning Classification of Verified Head Impact Exposure Strengthens Associations with Brain Changes. Ann Biomed Eng 2020; 48:2772-2782. [PMID: 33111970 DOI: 10.1007/s10439-020-02662-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Cumulative exposure to head impacts during contact sports can elicit potentially deleterious brain white matter alterations in young athletes. Head impact exposure is commonly quantified using wearable sensors; however, these sensors tend to overestimate the number of true head impacts that occur and may obfuscate potential relationships with longitudinal brain changes. The purpose of this study was to examine whether data-driven filtering of head impact exposure using machine learning classification could produce more accurate quantification of exposure and whether this would reveal more pronounced relationships with longitudinal brain changes. Season-long head impact exposure was recorded for 22 female high school soccer athletes and filtered using three methods-threshold-based, heuristic filtering, and machine learning (ML) classification. The accuracy of each method was determined using simultaneous video recording of a subset of the sensor-recorded impacts, which was used to confirm which sensor-recorded impacts corresponded with true head impacts and the ability of each method to detect the true impacts. Each filtered dataset was then associated with the athletes' pre- and post-season MRI brain scans to reveal longitudinal white matter changes. The threshold-based, heuristic, and ML approaches achieved 22.0% accuracy, 44.6%, and 83.5% accuracy, respectively. ML classification also revealed significant longitudinal brain white matter changes, with negative relationships observed between head impact exposure and reductions in mean and axial diffusivity and a positive relationship observed between exposure and fractional anisotropy (all p < 0.05).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher A DiCesare
- The SPORT Center, Division of Sports Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Ave., MLC-10001, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA.
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
| | - Brittany Green
- Department of Operations, Business Analytics, and Information Systems, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Weihong Yuan
- Department of Radiology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Pediatric Neuroimaging Research Consortium, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Jed A Diekfuss
- The SPORT Center, Division of Sports Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Ave., MLC-10001, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
- Emory Sport Performance and Research Center, Flowery Branch, GA, USA
- Department of Orthopaedics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Kim D Barber Foss
- The SPORT Center, Division of Sports Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Ave., MLC-10001, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Jon Dudley
- Pediatric Neuroimaging Research Consortium, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Yichen Qin
- Department of Operations, Business Analytics, and Information Systems, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Peng Wang
- Department of Operations, Business Analytics, and Information Systems, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Gregory D Myer
- The SPORT Center, Division of Sports Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Ave., MLC-10001, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
- The Micheli Center for Sports Injury Prevention, Waltham, MA, USA
- Departments of Pediatrics and Orthopaedic Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Emory Sport Performance and Research Center, Flowery Branch, GA, USA
- Department of Orthopaedics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Emory Sports Medicine Center, Atlanta, GA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Diekfuss JA, Yuan W, Barber Foss KD, Dudley JA, DiCesare CA, Reddington DL, Zhong W, Nissen KS, Shafer JL, Leach JL, Bonnette S, Logan K, Epstein JN, Clark J, Altaye M, Myer GD. The effects of internal jugular vein compression for modulating and preserving white matter following a season of American tackle football: A prospective longitudinal evaluation of differential head impact exposure. J Neurosci Res 2020; 99:423-445. [PMID: 32981154 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this clinical trial was to examine whether internal jugular vein compression (JVC)-using an externally worn neck collar-modulated the relationships between differential head impact exposure levels and pre- to postseason changes in diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)-derived diffusivity and anisotropy metrics of white matter following a season of American tackle football. Male high-school athletes (n = 284) were prospectively assigned to a non-collar group or a collar group. Magnetic resonance imaging data were collected from participants pre- and postseason and head impact exposure was monitored by accelerometers during every practice and game throughout the competitive season. Athletes' accumulated head impact exposure was systematically thresholded based on the frequency of impacts of progressively higher magnitudes (10 g intervals between 20 to 150 g) and modeled with pre- to postseason changes in DTI measures of white matter as a function of JVC neck collar wear. The findings revealed that the JVC neck collar modulated the relationships between greater high-magnitude head impact exposure (110 to 140 g) and longitudinal changes to white matter, with each group showing associations that varied in directionality. Results also revealed that the JVC neck collar group partially preserved longitudinal changes in DTI metrics. Collectively, these data indicate that a JVC neck collar can provide a mechanistic response to the diffusion and anisotropic properties of brain white matter following the highly diverse exposure to repetitive head impacts in American tackle football. Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT# 04068883.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jed A Diekfuss
- The SPORT Center, Division of Sports Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Weihong Yuan
- Pediatric Neuroimaging Research Consortium, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA.,Departments of Pediatrics and Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Kim D Barber Foss
- The SPORT Center, Division of Sports Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Jonathan A Dudley
- Pediatric Neuroimaging Research Consortium, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Christopher A DiCesare
- The SPORT Center, Division of Sports Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Danielle L Reddington
- The SPORT Center, Division of Sports Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Wen Zhong
- The SPORT Center, Division of Sports Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA.,Departments of Pediatrics and Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Katharine S Nissen
- The SPORT Center, Division of Sports Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Jessica L Shafer
- The SPORT Center, Division of Sports Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - James L Leach
- Division of Radiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Scott Bonnette
- The SPORT Center, Division of Sports Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Kelsey Logan
- The SPORT Center, Division of Sports Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Jeffery N Epstein
- Departments of Pediatrics and Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA.,Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Joseph Clark
- Departments of Pediatrics and Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Mekibib Altaye
- Departments of Pediatrics and Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA.,Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Gregory D Myer
- The SPORT Center, Division of Sports Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA.,Departments of Pediatrics and Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA.,The Micheli Center for Sports Injury Prevention, Waltham, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Lefebvre G, Guay S, Chamard E, Theaud G, de Guise E, Bacon BA, Descoteaux M, De Beaumont L, Théoret H. Diffusion Tensor Imaging in Contact and Non-Contact University-Level Sport Athletes. J Neurotrauma 2020; 38:529-537. [PMID: 32640880 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2020.7170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Subconcussive hits to the head and physical fitness both have been associated with alterations in white matter (WM) microstructure in partly overlapping areas of the brain. The aim of the present study was to determine whether WM damage associated with repeated exposure to subconcussive hits to the head in university level contact sports athletes is modulated by high levels of fitness. To this end, 72 students were recruited: 24 athletes practicing a varsity contact sport (A-CS), 24 athletes practicing a varsity non-contact sport (A-NCS), and 24 healthy non-athletes (NA). Participants underwent a magnetic resonance imaging session that included diffusion-weighted imaging. Between-groups, statistical analyses were performed with diffusion tensor imaging measures extracted by tractometry of sections of the corpus callosum and the corticospinal tract. Most significant effects were found in A-NCS who exhibited higher fractional anisotropy (FA) values than A-CS in almost all segments of the corpus callosum and in the corticospinal tract. The A-NCS also showed higher FA compared with NA in the anterior regions of the corpus callosum and the corticospinal tracts. No group difference was found between the A-CS and the NA groups. These data suggest that repeated subconcussive hits to the head lead to anisotropic changes in the WM that may counteract the beneficial effects associated with high levels of fitness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Geneviève Lefebvre
- Department of Psychology and Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Samuel Guay
- Department of Psychology and Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Emilie Chamard
- Department of Psychology and Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Guillaume Theaud
- Sherbrooke Connectivity Imaging Laboratory (SCIL), Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
| | - Elaine de Guise
- Department of Psychology and Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | | | - Maxime Descoteaux
- Sherbrooke Connectivity Imaging Laboratory (SCIL), Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
| | - Louis De Beaumont
- Department of Surgery, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Hugo Théoret
- Department of Psychology and Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Research Center, CHU Sainte-Justine, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Dudley J, Yuan W, Diekfuss J, Barber Foss KD, DiCesare CA, Altaye M, Logan K, Leach JL, Myer GD. Altered Functional and Structural Connectomes in Female High School Soccer Athletes After a Season of Head Impact Exposure and the Effect of a Novel Collar. Brain Connect 2020; 10:292-301. [DOI: 10.1089/brain.2019.0729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Dudley
- Pediatric Neuroimaging Research Consortium, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Weihong Yuan
- Pediatric Neuroimaging Research Consortium, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
- Department of Radiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Jed Diekfuss
- Pediatric Neuroimaging Research Consortium, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
- The SPORT Center, Division of Sports Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Kim D. Barber Foss
- Pediatric Neuroimaging Research Consortium, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
- The SPORT Center, Division of Sports Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Christopher A. DiCesare
- Pediatric Neuroimaging Research Consortium, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
- The SPORT Center, Division of Sports Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Mekibib Altaye
- Pediatric Neuroimaging Research Consortium, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Kelsey Logan
- Pediatric Neuroimaging Research Consortium, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - James L. Leach
- Department of Radiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati Ohio, USA
| | - Gregory D. Myer
- Pediatric Neuroimaging Research Consortium, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
- Department of Radiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
- The SPORT Center, Division of Sports Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
- The Micheli Center for Sports Injury Prevention, Waltham, Massachusetts, USA
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Mannix R, Morriss NJ, Conley GM, Meehan WP, Nedder A, Qiu J, Float J, DiCesare CA, Myer GD. Internal Jugular Vein Compression Collar Mitigates Histopathological Alterations after Closed Head Rotational Head Impact in Swine: A Pilot Study. Neuroscience 2020; 437:132-144. [PMID: 32283181 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Accepted: 04/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Recently, there has been increased concern about microstructural brain changes after head trauma. Clinical studies have investigated a neck collar that applies gentle bilateral jugular vein compression, designed to increase intracranial blood volume and brain stiffness during head trauma, which neuroimaging has shown to result in a reduction in brain microstructural alterations after a season of American football and soccer. Here, we utilized a swine model of mild traumatic brain injury to investigate the effects of internal jugular vein (IJV) compression on histopathological outcomes after injury. Animals were randomized to collar treatment (n = 8) or non-collar treatment (n = 6), anesthetized and suspended such that the head was supported by breakable tape. A custom-built device was used to impact the head, thus allowing the head to break the tape and rotate along the sagittal plane. Accelerometer data were collected for each group. Sham injured animals (n = 2) were exposed to anesthesia only. Following single head trauma, animals were euthanized and brains collected for histology. Whole slide immunohistochemistry was analyzed using Qupath software. There was no difference in linear or rotational acceleration between injured collar and non-collar animals (p > 0.05). Injured animals demonstrated higher levels of the phosphorylated tau epitope AT8 (p < 0.05) and the inflammatory microglial marker IBA1 (p < 0.05) across the entire brain, but the effect of injury was markedly reduced by collar treatment (p < 0.05) The current results indicate that internal jugular venous compression protects against histopathological alterations related to closed head trauma exposure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rebekah Mannix
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, United States; Harvard Medical School, United States.
| | - Nicholas J Morriss
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, United States
| | - Grace M Conley
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, United States
| | - William P Meehan
- Harvard Medical School, United States; Department of Orthopedics, Boston Children's Hospital, United States; Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, United States; Micheli Center for Sports Injury Prevention, United States
| | - Arthur Nedder
- DVM. Animal Resources Children's Hospital, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jianhua Qiu
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, United States; Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, United States
| | | | | | - Gregory D Myer
- Micheli Center for Sports Injury Prevention, United States; Priority Designs, Columbus, OH, United States; The SPORT Center, Division of Sports Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States; Departments of Pediatrics and Orthopaedic Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Muftuler LT, Meier TB, Keith M, Budde MD, Huber DL, McCrea MA. Serial Diffusion Kurtosis Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study during Acute, Subacute, and Recovery Periods after Sport-Related Concussion. J Neurotrauma 2020; 37:2081-2092. [PMID: 32253977 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2020.6993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sport-related concussion (SRC) is common in contact sports, but there remains a lack of reliable, unbiased biomarkers of brain injury and recovery. Although the symptoms of SRC generally resolve over a period of days to weeks, the lack of a biomarker impairs detection and return-to-play decisions. To this date, the pathophysiological recovery profile and relationships between brain changes and symptoms remained unclear. In the current study, diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) was used to monitor the effects of SRC on the brain and the trajectory of recovery in concussed American football players (n = 96) at <48 h, and 8, 15, and 45 days post-injury, who were compared with a matched group of uninjured players (n = 82). The concussed group reported significantly higher symptoms within 48 h after injury than controls, which resolved by the 8-day follow-up. The concussed group also demonstrated poorer performance on balance testing at <48 h and 8 days than controls. There were no significant differences between the groups in the Standardized Assessment of Concussion (SAC), a cognitive screening measure. DKI data were acquired with 3 mm isotropic resolution, and analyzed using tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS). Additionally, voxel- and region of interest-based analyses were also conducted. At <48 h, the concussed group showed significantly higher axial kurtosis than the control group. These differences increased in extent and magnitude at 8 days, then receded at 15 days, and returned to the normal levels by 45 days. Kurtosis fractional anisotropy (FA) exhibited a delayed response, with a consistent increase by days 15 and 45. The results indicate that changes detected in the acute period appear to be prolonged compared with clinical recovery, but additional brain changes not observable acutely appear to progress. Although further studies are needed to understand the pathological features of DKI changes after SRC, these findings highlight a potential disparity between clinical symptoms and pathophysiological recovery after SRC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- L Tugan Muftuler
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.,Center for Neurotrauma Research, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Timothy B Meier
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.,Center for Neurotrauma Research, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Monica Keith
- Department of Neurology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Matthew D Budde
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.,Center for Neurotrauma Research, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Daniel L Huber
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.,Center for Neurotrauma Research, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Michael A McCrea
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.,Center for Neurotrauma Research, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Nauman EA, Talavage TM, Auerbach PS. Mitigating the Consequences of Subconcussive Head Injuries. Annu Rev Biomed Eng 2020; 22:387-407. [PMID: 32348156 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-bioeng-091219-053447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Subconcussive head injury represents a pathophysiology that spans the expertise of both clinical neurology and biomechanical engineering. From both viewpoints, the terms injury and damage, presented without qualifiers, are synonymously taken to mean a tissue alteration that may be recoverable. For clinicians, concussion is evolving from a purely clinical diagnosis to one that requires objective measurement, to be achieved by biomedical engineers. Subconcussive injury is defined as subclinical pathophysiology in which underlying cellular- or tissue-level damage (here, to the brain) is not severe enough to present readily observable symptoms. Our concern is not whether an individual has a (clinically diagnosed) concussion, but rather, how much accumulative damage an individual can tolerate before they will experience long-term deficit(s) in neurological health. This concern leads us to look for the history of damage-inducing events, while evaluating multiple approaches for avoiding injury through reduction or prevention of the associated mechanically induced damage.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eric A Nauman
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA; .,School of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA.,Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA
| | - Thomas M Talavage
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA; .,School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA
| | - Paul S Auerbach
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California 94304, USA
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Churchill NW, Hutchison MG, Graham SJ, Schweizer TA. Baseline vs. cross-sectional MRI of concussion: distinct brain patterns in white matter and cerebral blood flow. Sci Rep 2020; 10:1643. [PMID: 32015365 PMCID: PMC6997378 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-58073-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2018] [Accepted: 01/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroimaging has been used to describe the pathophysiology of sport-related concussion during early injury, with effects that may persist beyond medical clearance to return-to-play (RTP). However, studies are typically cross-sectional, comparing groups of concussed and uninjured athletes. It is important to determine whether these findings are consistent with longitudinal change at the individual level, relative to their own pre-injury baseline. A cohort of N = 123 university-level athletes were scanned with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Of this group, N = 12 acquired a concussion and were re-scanned at early symptomatic injury and at RTP. A sub-group of N = 44 uninjured athletes were also re-imaged, providing a normative reference group. Among concussed athletes, abnormalities were identified for white matter fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity, along with grey matter cerebral blood flow, using both cross-sectional (CS) and longitudinal (LNG) approaches. The spatial patterns of abnormality for CS and LNG were distinct, with median fractional overlap below 0.10 and significant differences in the percentage of abnormal voxels. However, the analysis methods did not differ in the amount of change from symptomatic injury to RTP and in the direction of observed abnormalities. These results highlight the impact of using pre-injury baseline data when evaluating concussion-related brain abnormalities at the individual level.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nathan W Churchill
- Neuroscience Research Program, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto ON, M5B 1M8, Canada. .,Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science of St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto ON, M5B 1M8, Canada.
| | - Michael G Hutchison
- Neuroscience Research Program, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto ON, M5B 1M8, Canada.,Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science of St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto ON, M5B 1M8, Canada.,Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, University of Toronto, Toronto ON, M5S 2C9, Canada
| | - Simon J Graham
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto ON, M5G 1L7, Canada.,Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Hospital, Toronto ON, M4N 3M5, Canada
| | - Tom A Schweizer
- Neuroscience Research Program, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto ON, M5B 1M8, Canada.,Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science of St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto ON, M5B 1M8, Canada.,Faculty of Medicine (Neurosurgery), University of Toronto, Toronto ON, M5T 1P5, Canada
| |
Collapse
|