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McNamee M, Anderson LC, Borry P, Camporesi S, Derman W, Holm S, Knox TR, Leuridan B, Loland S, Lopez Frias FJ, Lorusso L, Malcolm D, McArdle D, Partridge B, Schramme T, Weed M. Sport-related concussion research agenda beyond medical science: culture, ethics, science, policy. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ETHICS 2024:jme-2022-108812. [PMID: 36868564 DOI: 10.1136/jme-2022-108812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The Concussion in Sport Group guidelines have successfully brought the attention of brain injuries to the global medical and sport research communities, and has significantly impacted brain injury-related practices and rules of international sport. Despite being the global repository of state-of-the-art science, diagnostic tools and guides to clinical practice, the ensuing consensus statements remain the object of ethical and sociocultural criticism. The purpose of this paper is to bring to bear a broad range of multidisciplinary challenges to the processes and products of sport-related concussion movement. We identify lacunae in scientific research and clinical guidance in relation to age, disability, gender and race. We also identify, through multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary analysis, a range of ethical problems resulting from conflicts of interest, processes of attributing expertise in sport-related concussion, unjustifiably narrow methodological control and insufficient athlete engagement in research and policy development. We argue that the sport and exercise medicine community need to augment the existing research and practice foci to understand these problems more holistically and, in turn, provide guidance and recommendations that help sport clinicians better care for brain-injured athletes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mike McNamee
- Department of Movement Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | | | - Pascal Borry
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Silvia Camporesi
- Global Health & Social Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Political Sciences, University of Vienna, Wien, Austria
| | - Wayne Derman
- Institute of Sport & Exercise Medicine, Dept of Exercise, Sport & Lifestyle Medicine, Facuty of Medicine & Health Science, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- IOC Research Center, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Soren Holm
- Centre for Social Ethics and Policy, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Centre for Medical Ethics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Bert Leuridan
- Centre for Philosophical Psychology, University of Antwerp, Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Sigmund Loland
- Department of Sport and Social Sciences, Norwegian School of Sports Sciences, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Ludovica Lorusso
- Departament de Psicologia Social, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Dominic Malcolm
- School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK
| | | | - Brad Partridge
- Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Thomas Schramme
- Department of Philosophy, University of Liverpool Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Liverpool, UK
| | - Mike Weed
- Centre for Sport, Physical Education & Activity Research (spear), Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury, UK
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2
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Iverson GL, Castellani RJ, Cassidy JD, Schneider GM, Schneider KJ, Echemendia RJ, Bailes JE, Hayden KA, Koerte IK, Manley GT, McNamee M, Patricios JS, Tator CH, Cantu RC, Dvorak J. Examining later-in-life health risks associated with sport-related concussion and repetitive head impacts: a systematic review of case-control and cohort studies. Br J Sports Med 2023; 57:810-821. [PMID: 37316187 DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2023-106890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Concern exists about possible problems with later-in-life brain health, such as cognitive impairment, mental health problems and neurological diseases, in former athletes. We examined the future risk for adverse health effects associated with sport-related concussion, or exposure to repetitive head impacts, in former athletes. DESIGN Systematic review. DATA SOURCES Search of MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane, CINAHL Plus and SPORTDiscus in October 2019 and updated in March 2022. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA Studies measuring future risk (cohort studies) or approximating that risk (case-control studies). RESULTS Ten studies of former amateur athletes and 18 studies of former professional athletes were included. No postmortem neuropathology studies or neuroimaging studies met criteria for inclusion. Depression was examined in five studies in former amateur athletes, none identifying an increased risk. Nine studies examined suicidality or suicide as a manner of death, and none found an association with increased risk. Some studies comparing professional athletes with the general population reported associations between sports participation and dementia or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) as a cause of death. Most did not control for potential confounding factors (eg, genetic, demographic, health-related or environmental), were ecological in design and had high risk of bias. CONCLUSION Evidence does not support an increased risk of mental health or neurological diseases in former amateur athletes with exposure to repetitive head impacts. Some studies in former professional athletes suggest an increased risk of neurological disorders such as ALS and dementia; these findings need to be confirmed in higher quality studies with better control of confounding factors. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER CRD42022159486.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grant L Iverson
- Sports Concussion Program, MassGeneral Hospital for Children, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Schoen Adams Research Institute at Spaulding Rehabilitation, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
- Home Base, A Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Rudolph J Castellani
- Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - J David Cassidy
- Division of Epidemiology, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Geoff M Schneider
- Department of Radiology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Kathryn J Schneider
- Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Ruben J Echemendia
- Department of Psychology, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, Missouri, USA
- University Orthopedic Centre, Concussion Care Clinic, State College, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Julian E Bailes
- Department of Neurosurgery, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, Illinois, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - K Alix Hayden
- Libraries and Cultural Resources, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Inga K Koerte
- cBRAIN, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatic, and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Mass General Brigham, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Geoffrey T Manley
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Michael McNamee
- Department of Movement Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Jon S Patricios
- Wits Sport and Health (WiSH), School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Charles H Tator
- Department of Surgery and Division of Neurosurgery, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Canadian Concussion Centre, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Robert C Cantu
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Robert C. Cantu Concussion Center, Emerson Hospital, Concord, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jiri Dvorak
- Schulthess Clinic Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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3
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Liang B, Alosco ML, Armañanzas R, Martin BM, Tripodis Y, Stern RA, Prichep LS. Long-Term Changes in Brain Connectivity Reflected in Quantitative Electrophysiology of Symptomatic Former National Football League Players. J Neurotrauma 2023; 40:309-317. [PMID: 36324216 PMCID: PMC9902050 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2022.0029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure to repetitive head impacts (RHI) has been associated with long-term disturbances in cognition, mood, and neurobehavioral dysregulation, and reflected in neuroimaging. Distinct patterns of changes in quantitative features of the brain electrical activity (quantitative electroencephalogram [qEEG]) have been demonstrated to be sensitive to brain changes seen in neurodegenerative disorders and in traumatic brain injuries (TBI). While these qEEG biomarkers are highly sensitive at time of injury, the long-term effects of exposure to RHI on brain electrical activity are relatively unexplored. Ten minutes of eyes closed resting EEG data were collected from a frontal and frontotemporal electrode montage (BrainScope Food and Drug Administration-cleared EEG acquisition device), as well as assessments of neuropsychiatric function and age of first exposure (AFE) to American football. A machine learning methodology was used to derive a qEEG-based algorithm to discriminate former National Football League (NFL) players (n = 87, 55.40 ± 7.98 years old) from same-age men without history of RHI (n = 68, 54.94 ± 7.63 years old), and a second algorithm to discriminate former players with AFE <12 years (n = 33) from AFE ≥12 years (n = 54). The algorithm separating NFL retirees from controls had a specificity = 80%, a sensitivity = 60%, and an area under curve (AUC) = 0.75. Within the NFL population, the algorithm separating AFE <12 from AFE ≥12 resulted in a sensitivity = 76%, a specificity = 52%, and an AUC = 0.72. The presence of a profile of EEG abnormalities in the NFL retirees and in those with younger AFE includes features associated with neurodegeneration and the disruption of neuronal transmission between regions. These results support the long-term consequences of RHI and the potential of EEG as a biomarker of persistent changes in brain function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Liang
- BrainScope Company, Chevy Chase, Maryland, USA
| | - Michael L. Alosco
- Boston University CTE Center, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ruben Armañanzas
- BrainScope Company, Chevy Chase, Maryland, USA
- Institute for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- Tecnun School of Engineering, Universidad de Navarra, Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Brett M. Martin
- Boston University CTE Center, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Yorghos Tripodis
- Boston University CTE Center, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Robert A. Stern
- Boston University CTE Center, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Departments of Neurosurgery and Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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4
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Hudac CM, Wallace JS, Ward VR, Friedman NR, Delfin D, Newman SD. Dynamic cognitive inhibition in the context of frustration: Increasing racial representation of adolescent athletes using mobile community-engaged EEG methods. Front Neurol 2022; 13:918075. [PMID: 36619932 PMCID: PMC9812645 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.918075] [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: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Concussive events and other brain injuries are known to reduce cognitive inhibition, a key aspect of cognition that supports ones' behaviors and impacts regulation of mood or affect. Our primary objective is to investigate how induction of negative affect (such as frustration) impacts cognitive inhibition and the dynamic process by which youth athletes modulate responses. Secondary objective is to address the lack of Black representation in the scientific literature that promotes brain health and investigates pediatric sports-related brain injury. In particular, neuroscience studies predominantly include White participants despite broad racial representation in sport, in part due to technological hurdles and other obstacles that challenge research access for Black participants. Methods Using electroencephalography (EEG), we evaluate the dynamic brain processes associated with cognitive inhibition in the context of frustration induction in adolescent athletes during pre-season conditioning (i.e., prior to contact; N = 23) and a subset during post-season (n = 17). Results The N2 component was sensitive to frustration induction (decreased N2 amplitude, slower N2 latency), although effects were less robust at postseason. Trial-by-trial changes indicated a steady decrease of the N2 amplitude during the frustration block during the preseason visit, suggesting that affective interference had a dynamic effect on cognitive inhibition. Lastly, exploratory analyses provide preliminary evidence that frustration induction was less effective for athletes with a previous history of concussion or migraines (trending result) yet more effective for athletes endorsing a history with mental health disorders. Discussion We emphasize the urgent need to improve representation in cognitive neuroscience, particularly as it pertains to brain health. Importantly, we provide detailed guides to our methodological framework and practical suggestions to improve representative participation in studies utilizing high-density mobile EEG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin M. Hudac
- Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States,Center for Youth Development and Intervention, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, United States,Department of Psychology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, United States,Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment Research Center, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States,*Correspondence: Caitlin M. Hudac
| | - Jessica S. Wallace
- Department of Health Science, Athletic Training Program, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, United States
| | - Victoria R. Ward
- Center for Youth Development and Intervention, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, United States,Department of Psychology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, United States
| | - Nicole R. Friedman
- Center for Youth Development and Intervention, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, United States,Department of Psychology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, United States
| | - Danae Delfin
- Department of Health Science, Athletic Training Program, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, United States
| | - Sharlene D. Newman
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, United States,Alabama Life Research Institute, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, United States
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5
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Nowinski CJ, Bureau SC, Buckland ME, Curtis MA, Daneshvar DH, Faull RLM, Grinberg LT, Hill-Yardin EL, Murray HC, Pearce AJ, Suter CM, White AJ, Finkel AM, Cantu RC. Applying the Bradford Hill Criteria for Causation to Repetitive Head Impacts and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. Front Neurol 2022; 13:938163. [PMID: 35937061 PMCID: PMC9355594 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.938163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative disease associated with a history of repetitive head impacts (RHI). CTE was described in boxers as early as the 1920s and by the 1950s it was widely accepted that hits to the head caused some boxers to become "punch drunk." However, the recent discovery of CTE in American and Australian-rules football, soccer, rugby, ice hockey, and other sports has resulted in renewed debate on whether the relationship between RHI and CTE is causal. Identifying the strength of the evidential relationship between CTE and RHI has implications for public health and medico-legal issues. From a public health perspective, environmentally caused diseases can be mitigated or prevented. Medico-legally, millions of children are exposed to RHI through sports participation; this demographic is too young to legally consent to any potential long-term risks associated with this exposure. To better understand the strength of evidence underlying the possible causal relationship between RHI and CTE, we examined the medical literature through the Bradford Hill criteria for causation. The Bradford Hill criteria, first proposed in 1965 by Sir Austin Bradford Hill, provide a framework to determine if one can justifiably move from an observed association to a verdict of causation. The Bradford Hill criteria include nine viewpoints by which to evaluate human epidemiologic evidence to determine if causation can be deduced: strength, consistency, specificity, temporality, biological gradient, plausibility, coherence, experiment, and analogy. We explored the question of causation by evaluating studies on CTE as it relates to RHI exposure. Through this lens, we found convincing evidence of a causal relationship between RHI and CTE, as well as an absence of evidence-based alternative explanations. By organizing the CTE literature through this framework, we hope to advance the global conversation on CTE mitigation efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J. Nowinski
- Concussion Legacy Foundation, Boston, MA, United States,*Correspondence: Christopher J. Nowinski
| | | | - Michael E. Buckland
- Department of Neuropathology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, NSW, Australia,School of Medical Sciences, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
| | - Maurice A. Curtis
- Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging and Centre for Brain Research, Faculty of Medical and Health Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Daniel H. Daneshvar
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States,Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States,Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Richard L. M. Faull
- Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging and Centre for Brain Research, Faculty of Medical and Health Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Lea T. Grinberg
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States,Global Brain Health Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States,Department of Pathology, University of Sao Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil,Department of Pathology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Elisa L. Hill-Yardin
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, STEM College, RMIT University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia,Department of Anatomy & Physiology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Helen C. Murray
- Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging and Centre for Brain Research, Faculty of Medical and Health Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Alan J. Pearce
- College of Science, Health, and Engineering, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Catherine M. Suter
- Department of Neuropathology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, NSW, Australia,School of Medical Sciences, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
| | - Adam J. White
- Department of Sport, Health Science, and Social Work, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, United Kingdom,Concussion Legacy Foundation UK, Cheltenham, United Kingdom
| | - Adam M. Finkel
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Robert C. Cantu
- Concussion Legacy Foundation, Boston, MA, United States,Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States,Department of Neurosurgery, Emerson Hospital, Concord, MA, United States
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6
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Muraoka S, DeLeo AM, Yang Z, Tatebe H, Yukawa-Takamatsu K, Ikezu S, Tokuda T, Issadore D, Stern RA, Ikezu T. Proteomic Profiling of Extracellular Vesicles Separated from Plasma of Former National Football League Players at Risk for Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. Aging Dis 2021; 12:1363-1375. [PMID: 34527415 PMCID: PMC8407879 DOI: 10.14336/ad.2020.0908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is a tauopathy that affects individuals with a history of exposure to repetitive head impacts, including National Football League (NFL) players. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are known to carry tau in Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies. We examined protein profiles of EVs separated from the plasma of former NFL players at risk for CTE. EVs were separated from the plasma from former NFL players and age-matched controls using size-exclusion chromatography. Label-free quantitative proteomic analysis identified 675 proteins in plasma EVs, and 17 proteins were significantly differentially expressed between former NFL players and controls. Total tau (t-tau) and tau phosphorylated at threonie181 (p-tau181) in plasma-derived EVs were measured by ultrasensitive immunoassay. Level of t-tau and p-tau181 in EVs were significantly different, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of t-tau and p-tau181 showed 0.736 and 0.715, respectively. Machine learning analysis indicated that a combination of collagen type VI alpha 3 and 1 chain (COL6A3 and COL6A1) and reelin (RELN) can distinguish former NFL players from controls with 85% accuracy (AUC = 0.85). Based on the plasma EV proteomics, these data provide protein profiling of plasma EVs for CTE, and indicate combination of COL6A3, RELN and COL6A1 in plasma EVs may serve as the potential diagnostic biomarkers for CTE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoshi Muraoka
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Annina M DeLeo
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Zijian Yang
- Deprtment of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Harutsugu Tatebe
- Department of Functional Brain Imaging Research, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Chiba, JAPAN.
| | - Kayo Yukawa-Takamatsu
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Seiko Ikezu
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Takahiko Tokuda
- Department of Functional Brain Imaging Research, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Chiba, JAPAN.
| | - David Issadore
- Deprtment of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Robert A Stern
- Department of Neurology, Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease and CTE Centers, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
- Departments of Anatomy & Neurobiology and Neurosurgery, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Tsuneya Ikezu
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease and CTE Centers, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
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7
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Alosco ML, Mariani ML, Adler CH, Balcer LJ, Bernick C, Au R, Banks SJ, Barr WB, Bouix S, Cantu RC, Coleman MJ, Dodick DW, Farrer LA, Geda YE, Katz DI, Koerte IK, Kowall NW, Lin AP, Marcus DS, Marek KL, McClean MD, McKee AC, Mez J, Palmisano JN, Peskind ER, Tripodis Y, Turner RW, Wethe JV, Cummings JL, Reiman EM, Shenton ME, Stern RA. Developing methods to detect and diagnose chronic traumatic encephalopathy during life: rationale, design, and methodology for the DIAGNOSE CTE Research Project. Alzheimers Res Ther 2021; 13:136. [PMID: 34384490 PMCID: PMC8357968 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-021-00872-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative disease that has been neuropathologically diagnosed in brain donors exposed to repetitive head impacts, including boxers and American football, soccer, ice hockey, and rugby players. CTE cannot yet be diagnosed during life. In December 2015, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke awarded a seven-year grant (U01NS093334) to fund the "Diagnostics, Imaging, and Genetics Network for the Objective Study and Evaluation of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (DIAGNOSE CTE) Research Project." The objectives of this multicenter project are to: develop in vivo fluid and neuroimaging biomarkers for CTE; characterize its clinical presentation; refine and validate clinical research diagnostic criteria (i.e., traumatic encephalopathy syndrome [TES]); examine repetitive head impact exposure, genetic, and other risk factors; and provide shared resources of anonymized data and biological samples to the research community. In this paper, we provide a detailed overview of the rationale, design, and methods for the DIAGNOSE CTE Research Project. METHODS The targeted sample and sample size was 240 male participants, ages 45-74, including 120 former professional football players, 60 former collegiate football players, and 60 asymptomatic participants without a history of head trauma or participation in organized contact sports. Participants were evaluated at one of four U.S. sites and underwent the following baseline procedures: neurological and neuropsychological examinations; tau and amyloid positron emission tomography; magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy; lumbar puncture; blood and saliva collection; and standardized self-report measures of neuropsychiatric, cognitive, and daily functioning. Study partners completed similar informant-report measures. Follow-up evaluations were intended to be in-person and at 3 years post-baseline. Multidisciplinary diagnostic consensus conferences are held, and the reliability and validity of TES diagnostic criteria are examined. RESULTS Participant enrollment and all baseline evaluations were completed in February 2020. Three-year follow-up evaluations began in October 2019. However, in-person evaluation ceased with the COVID-19 pandemic, and resumed as remote, 4-year follow-up evaluations (including telephone-, online-, and videoconference-based cognitive, neuropsychiatric, and neurologic examinations, as well as in-home blood draw) in February 2021. CONCLUSIONS Findings from the DIAGNOSE CTE Research Project should facilitate detection and diagnosis of CTE during life, and thereby accelerate research on risk factors, mechanisms, epidemiology, treatment, and prevention of CTE. TRIAL REGISTRATION NCT02798185.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael L Alosco
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Boston University CTE Center, Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Megan L Mariani
- Boston University CTE Center, Boston University 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
- Department of Neurology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Rhoda Au
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Boston University CTE Center, Framingham Heart Study, and Slone Epidemiology Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Departments of Anatomy & Neurobiology and Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sarah J Banks
- Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - William B Barr
- Department of Neurology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sylvain Bouix
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Robert C Cantu
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michael J Coleman
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David W Dodick
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic Arizona, Scottsdale, AZ, USA
| | - Lindsay A Farrer
- Departments of Medicine (Biomedical Genetics), Neurology, Ophthalmology, Epidemiology, and Biostatistics, BU Schools of Medicine and Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yonas E Geda
- Alzheimer's Disease and Memory Disorders Program, Department of Neurology, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Douglas I Katz
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Encompass Health Braintree Rehabilitation Hospital, Braintree, MA, USA
| | - Inga K Koerte
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- cBRAIN, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, Ludwigs-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany
| | - Neil W Kowall
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alexander P Lin
- Center for Clinical Spectroscopy, Department of Radiology, Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Daniel S Marcus
- Department of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 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
| | - Ann C McKee
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Boston University CTE Center, Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jesse Mez
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Boston University CTE Center, Framingham Heart Study, Department of Neurology, Boston University 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
| | - Elaine R Peskind
- VA Northwest Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Yorghos Tripodis
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Robert W Turner
- Department of Clinical Research & Leadership, The George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Jennifer V Wethe
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic School of Medicine, Mayo Clinic Arizona, Scottsdale, AZ, USA
| | - Jeffrey L Cummings
- Chambers-Grundy Center for Transformative Neuroscience, Department of Brain Health, School of Integrated Health Sciences, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, 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
| | - Martha E Shenton
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Departments of Psychiatry and Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Robert A Stern
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Boston University CTE Center, Departments of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
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8
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Caffey AL, Dalecki M. Evidence of residual cognitive deficits in young adults with a concussion history from adolescence. Brain Res 2021; 1768:147570. [PMID: 34216582 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2021.147570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2020] [Revised: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The present study investigated executive function and sustained attention of non-athlete, young adults (ages 18-23) with a history of concussion beyond ten months post incident. Cognitive functioning was examined in 24 non-athletic, college students with a concussion history (mean age 21 yrs.; mean time and range post-injury: 4 years, 10-90 months) and 24 non-athletic controls with no history (NH) of concussion. Computerized versions of two cognitive assessment techniques were utilized to examine executive functioning (Stroop) and sustained attention capacity (D2). Primary dependent variables were response time, error score, and sustained attention score. Relationships between dependent variables and concussion metrics were also analyzed. ANOVA's revealed a significantly higher error rate in concussion history (CH) participants when performing the Stroop task (p < 0.05), including a trend for greater errors in the incongruent task condition (p < 0.05). Group measures did not differ in the sustained attention test (all p > 0.05). Nevertheless, there was a significant relationship between D2 error rate and time since concussion (p < 0.01), showing that D2 error rate was greater for participants with more time since concussion sustainment. Our findings indicate the potential for prolonged cognitive dysfunction linked to decision-making, but not to processing speed, in young adult non-athletes with a CH averaging four years post-injury. These findings may provide evidence of residual cognitive deficits in young adults with a concussion history over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail L Caffey
- School of Kinesiology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, USA
| | - Marc Dalecki
- School of Kinesiology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, USA.
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9
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Alosco ML, Culhane J, Mez J. Neuroimaging Biomarkers of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy: Targets for the Academic Memory Disorders Clinic. Neurotherapeutics 2021; 18:772-791. [PMID: 33847906 PMCID: PMC8423967 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-021-01028-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative disease associated with exposure to repetitive head impacts, such as those from contact sports. The pathognomonic lesion for CTE is the perivascular accumulation of hyper-phosphorylated tau in neurons and other cell process at the depths of sulci. CTE cannot be diagnosed during life at this time, limiting research on risk factors, mechanisms, epidemiology, and treatment. There is an urgent need for in vivo biomarkers that can accurately detect CTE and differentiate it from other neurological disorders. Neuroimaging is an integral component of the clinical evaluation of neurodegenerative diseases and will likely aid in diagnosing CTE during life. In this qualitative review, we present the current evidence on neuroimaging biomarkers for CTE with a focus on molecular, structural, and functional modalities routinely used as part of a dementia evaluation. Supporting imaging-pathological correlation studies are also presented. We targeted neuroimaging studies of living participants at high risk for CTE (e.g., aging former elite American football players, fighters). We conclude that an optimal tau PET radiotracer with high affinity for the 3R/4R neurofibrillary tangles in CTE has not yet been identified. Amyloid PET scans have tended to be negative. Converging structural and functional imaging evidence together with neuropathological evidence show frontotemporal and medial temporal lobe neurodegeneration, and increased likelihood for a cavum septum pellucidum. The literature offers promising neuroimaging biomarker targets of CTE, but it is limited by cross-sectional studies of small samples where the presence of underlying CTE is unknown. Imaging-pathological correlation studies will be important for the development and validation of neuroimaging biomarkers of CTE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael L Alosco
- Department of Neurology, Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Boston University CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E Concord St, Suite B7800, MA, 02118, Boston, USA.
| | - Julia Culhane
- Department of Neurology, Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Boston University CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E Concord St, Suite B7800, MA, 02118, Boston, USA
| | - Jesse Mez
- Department of Neurology, Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Boston University CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E Concord St, Suite B7800, MA, 02118, Boston, USA
- Framingham Heart Study, Boston University School of Medicine, MA, Boston, USA
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10
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Arciniega H, Shires J, Furlong S, Kilgore-Gomez A, Cerreta A, Murray NG, Berryhill ME. Impaired visual working memory and reduced connectivity in undergraduates with a history of mild traumatic brain injury. Sci Rep 2021; 11:2789. [PMID: 33531546 PMCID: PMC7854733 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-80995-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 01/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), or concussion, accounts for 85% of all TBIs. Yet survivors anticipate full cognitive recovery within several months of injury, if not sooner, dependent upon the specific outcome/measure. Recovery is variable and deficits in executive function, e.g., working memory (WM) can persist years post-mTBI. We tested whether cognitive deficits persist in otherwise healthy undergraduates, as a conservative indicator for mTBI survivors at large. We collected WM performance (change detection, n-back tasks) using various stimuli (shapes, locations, letters; aurally presented numbers and letters), and wide-ranging cognitive assessments (e.g., RBANS). We replicated the observation of a general visual WM deficit, with preserved auditory WM. Surprisingly, visual WM deficits were equivalent in participants with a history of mTBI (mean 4.3 years post-injury) and in undergraduates with recent sports-related mTBI (mean 17 days post-injury). In seeking the underlying mechanism of these behavioral deficits, we collected resting state fMRI (rsfMRI) and EEG (rsEEG). RsfMRI revealed significantly reduced connectivity within WM-relevant networks (default mode, central executive, dorsal attention, salience), whereas rsEEG identified no differences (modularity, global efficiency, local efficiency). In summary, otherwise healthy current undergraduates with a history of mTBI present behavioral deficits with evidence of persistent disconnection long after full recovery is expected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hector Arciniega
- Department of Psychology, Programs in Cognitive and Brain Sciences, and Integrative Neuroscience, University of Nevada, 1664 N. Virginia St., MS 296, Reno, NV, 89557, USA.
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
| | - Jorja Shires
- Department of Psychology, Programs in Cognitive and Brain Sciences, and Integrative Neuroscience, University of Nevada, 1664 N. Virginia St., MS 296, Reno, NV, 89557, USA
| | - Sarah Furlong
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Alexandrea Kilgore-Gomez
- Department of Psychology, Programs in Cognitive and Brain Sciences, and Integrative Neuroscience, University of Nevada, 1664 N. Virginia St., MS 296, Reno, NV, 89557, USA
| | - Adelle Cerreta
- Department of Psychology, Programs in Cognitive and Brain Sciences, and Integrative Neuroscience, University of Nevada, 1664 N. Virginia St., MS 296, Reno, NV, 89557, USA
| | - Nicholas G Murray
- Department of Psychology, Programs in Cognitive and Brain Sciences, and Integrative Neuroscience, University of Nevada, 1664 N. Virginia St., MS 296, Reno, NV, 89557, USA
- School of Community Health Sciences, University of Nevada, Reno, 89557, USA
| | - Marian E Berryhill
- Department of Psychology, Programs in Cognitive and Brain Sciences, and Integrative Neuroscience, University of Nevada, 1664 N. Virginia St., MS 296, Reno, NV, 89557, USA
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11
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Grashow R, Weisskopf MG, Baggish A, Speizer FE, Whittington AJ, Nadler L, Connor A, Keske R, Taylor H, Zafonte R, Pascual-Leone A. Premortem Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Diagnoses in Professional Football. Ann Neurol 2020; 88:106-112. [PMID: 32281676 PMCID: PMC7383807 DOI: 10.1002/ana.25747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Revised: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE American-style football (ASF) has gained attention because of possible links between repetitive head injury and neurodegenerative diseases. Although postmortem pathologic changes consistent with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) have been reported in ASF players, there are currently no established premortem diagnostic criteria for CTE. Nevertheless, presented with symptoms of cognitive impairment, clinicians treating former players may be inclined to suggest CTE without a thorough exploration of comorbid factors that demonstrate similar clinical phenotypes to putative CTE. METHODS A survey of 3,913 former ASF players aged 24 to 89 was conducted for those who responded by March 2019. RESULTS Despite being a postmortem diagnosis, 108 players (2.8%) self-reported clinician-diagnosed CTE. The percentage of players under age 60 years reporting a CTE diagnosis was 2.3% versus 3.7% in participants age 60 or older. Comorbidities in participants self-reporting CTE were significantly more common, including sleep apnea, hypercholesterolemia, obesity, indicators of past or current depression, hypertension, prescription pain medication use, heart conditions, and low testosterone when compared to non-CTE respondents. Patterns of reporting for obesity, hypertension, heart conditions, or hypercholesterolemia differed between older and younger participants. Cognitive impairment symptoms were significantly higher in participants self-reporting CTE. INTERPRETATION Some former professional football players have been clinically diagnosed with CTE, a postmortem condition. Comorbidities that can affect cognition were associated with CTE diagnoses in both older and younger players. Although underlying neuropathology cannot be ruled out, treatable conditions should be explored in former athletes demonstrating CTE-linked clinical phenotypes or symptoms as a means of improving cognitive health in these patients. ANN NEUROL 2020 ANN NEUROL 2020;88:106-112.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Grashow
- Football Players Health Study at Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.,Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA
| | - Marc G Weisskopf
- Football Players Health Study at Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.,Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA
| | - Aaron Baggish
- Football Players Health Study at Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.,Cardiovascular Performance Program, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Frank E Speizer
- Football Players Health Study at Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.,Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA.,Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Alicia J Whittington
- Football Players Health Study at Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Lee Nadler
- Football Players Health Study at Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.,Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
| | - Ann Connor
- Football Players Health Study at Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.,Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Robyn Keske
- Football Players Health Study at Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Herman Taylor
- Football Players Health Study at Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.,Cardiovascular Research Institute, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Ross Zafonte
- Football Players Health Study at Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.,Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School Boston, Boston, MA
| | - Alvaro Pascual-Leone
- Football Players Health Study at Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.,Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.,Center for Memory Health and Marcus Institute for Aging Research, Hebrew Senior Life, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.,Institut Guttmann, Universitat Autónoma, Barcelona, Spain
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