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Stern RA, Trujillo-Rodriguez D, Tripodis Y, Pulukuri SV, Alosco ML, Adler CH, Balcer LJ, Bernick C, Baucom Z, Marek KL, McClean MD, Johnson KA, McKee AC, Stein TD, Mez J, Palmisano JN, Cummings JL, Shenton ME, Reiman EM. Amyloid PET across the cognitive spectrum in former professional and college American football players: findings from the DIAGNOSE CTE Research Project. Alzheimers Res Ther 2023; 15:166. [PMID: 37798671 PMCID: PMC10552261 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-023-01315-5] [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: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exposure to repetitive head impacts (RHI) in American football players can lead to cognitive impairment and dementia due to neurodegenerative disease, particularly chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). The pathognomonic lesion of CTE consists of perivascular aggregates of hyper-phosphorylated tau in neurons at the depths of cortical sulci. However, it is unclear whether exposure to RHI accelerates amyloid-β (Aβ) plaque formation and increases the risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Although the Aβ neuritic plaques characteristic of AD are observed in a minority of later-stage CTE cases, diffuse plaques are more common. This study examined whether former professional and college American football players, including those with cognitive impairment and dementia, have elevated neuritic Aβ plaque density, as measured by florbetapir PET. Regardless of cognitive and functional status, elevated levels of florbetapir uptake were not expected. METHODS We examined 237 men ages 45-74, including 119 former professional (PRO) and 60 former college (COL) football players, with and without cognitive impairment and dementia, and 58 same-age men without a history of contact sports or TBI (unexposed; UE) and who denied cognitive or behavioral symptoms at telephone screening. Former players were categorized into four diagnostic groups: normal cognition, subjective memory impairment, mild cognitive impairment, and dementia. Positive florbetapir PET was defined by cortical-cerebellar average SUVR of ≥ 1.10. Multivariable linear regression and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) compared florbetapir average SUVR across diagnostic and exposure groups. Multivariable logistic regression compared florbetapir positivity. Race, education, age, and APOE4 were covariates. RESULTS There were no diagnostic group differences either in florbetapir average SUVR or the proportion of elevated florbetapir uptake. Average SUVR means also did not differ between exposure groups: PRO-COL (p = 0.94, 95% C.I. = [- 0.033, 0.025]), PRO-UE (p = 0.40, 95% C.I. = [- 0.010, 0.029]), COL-UE (p = 0.36, 95% CI = [0.0004, 0.039]). Florbetapir was not significantly associated with years of football exposure, cognition, or daily functioning. CONCLUSIONS Cognitive impairment in former American football players is not associated with PET imaging of neuritic Aβ plaque deposition. These findings are inconsistent with a neuropathological diagnosis of AD in individuals with substantial RHI exposure and have both clinical and medico-legal implications. TRIAL REGISTRATION NCT02798185.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert A Stern
- Boston University CTE Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, 72 E. Concord Street, Boston, MA, L525, USA.
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
- Departments of Neurosurgery, and Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Diana Trujillo-Rodriguez
- Boston University CTE Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, 72 E. Concord Street, Boston, MA, L525, USA
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yorghos Tripodis
- Boston University CTE Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, 72 E. Concord Street, Boston, MA, L525, USA
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Surya V Pulukuri
- Boston University CTE Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, 72 E. Concord Street, Boston, MA, L525, USA
| | - Michael L Alosco
- Boston University CTE Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, 72 E. Concord Street, Boston, MA, L525, USA
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Charles H Adler
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic Arizona, Scottsdale, AZ, USA
| | - Laura J Balcer
- Departments of Neurology, Population Health and Ophthalmology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Charles Bernick
- Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, Las Vegas, NV, USA
| | - Zachary Baucom
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kenneth L Marek
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Disorders, Invicro, LLC, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Michael D McClean
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Keith A Johnson
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ann C McKee
- Boston University CTE Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, 72 E. Concord Street, Boston, MA, L525, USA
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Thor D Stein
- Boston University CTE Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, 72 E. Concord Street, Boston, MA, L525, USA
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jesse Mez
- Boston University CTE Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, 72 E. Concord Street, Boston, MA, L525, USA
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Framingham Heart Study, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Joseph N Palmisano
- Biostatistics and Epidemiology Data Analytics Center (BEDAC), Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jeffrey L Cummings
- Department of Brain Health, School of Integrated Health Sciences, Chambers-Grundy Center for Transformative Neuroscience, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, USA
| | - Martha E Shenton
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Harvard Medical School, Departments of Psychiatry and Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Eric M Reiman
- Banner Alzheimer's Institute, University of Arizona, Arizona State University, Translational Genomics Research Institute, and Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium, Phoenix, AZ, USA
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Lv W, Wang Z, Wu H, Zhang W, Xu J, Chen X. mTBI-Induced Systemic Vascular Dysfunction in a Mouse mTBI Model. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12020232. [PMID: 35203995 PMCID: PMC8870486 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12020232] [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: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) without skull fracturing is the most common occurrence of all TBIs and is considered as a serious public health concern. Animal models of mTBI are essential to investigation of TBI and its effects. In the current study, we developed and characterized a reproducible mouse model of mild TBI, meanwhile, the effects of this mTBI model, as well as repetitive mTBIs (rmTBIs), on the endothelial function of mouse aortas were also studied. In variety of closed-head models of mTBI, impact velocity, weight, and dwell time are the main parameters that affect the severities of injury. Here, we used a device, converting parameters of velocity, tip weight, and dwell time into impact force, to develop a mouse model of close-head mTBI. Mice were subjected to a mild TBI induced by the impact forces of 500, 600, 700, and 800 kdyn, respectively. Later, brain injuries were assessed histologically and molecularly. Systemic and brain inflammation were measured by plasma cytokine assay and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) staining. The composite neurobehavioral test revealed significant acute functional deficits in mice after mTBI, corresponding to the degree of injury. Mice brain undergoing mTBI had significant elevated GFAP staining. Plasma cytokines interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were significantly increased within 2 h after mTBI. Taken together, these data suggest that the mTBI mouse model introduce within our study exhibits good repeatability and comparable pathological characters. Moreover, we used this mTBI mouse model to determine the effect of single or rmTBIs on systemic vasoconstriction and relaxation. The isometric-tension results indicate that rmTBIs induce a pronounced and long-lasting endothelial dysfunction in mouse aorta.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weizhen Lv
- Institute of Medical Research, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, China; (W.L.); (Z.W.); (W.Z.)
| | - Zhuang Wang
- Institute of Medical Research, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, China; (W.L.); (Z.W.); (W.Z.)
| | - Hanxue Wu
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Xi’an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi’an 710061, China; (H.W.); (J.X.)
| | - Weiheng Zhang
- Institute of Medical Research, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, China; (W.L.); (Z.W.); (W.Z.)
| | - Jiaxi Xu
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Xi’an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi’an 710061, China; (H.W.); (J.X.)
| | - Xingjuan Chen
- Institute of Medical Research, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, China; (W.L.); (Z.W.); (W.Z.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-029-8846-0875
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