| 1. |
- Engström, Åsa, et al.
(författare)
-
Losing the identity of a hockey player : the long-term effects of concussions
- 2020
-
Ingår i: Concussion. - : Future Medicine. - 2056-3299. ; 5:2
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aim: To describe what suffering multiple concussions meant for former semi-professional or professional hockey players who were forced to end their career. Results: Nine former Swedish hockey players, who once played on national or professional teams were interviewed. The interviews were analyzed with reference to hermeneutic phenomenology to interpret and explain their experiences. The theme of losing one’s identity as a hockey player was constructed from five subthemes: being limited in everyday life, returning to the hockey stadium as soon as possible, forming a post career identity, lacking understanding and support, and preventing injuries by respecting other players. Conclusion: The former hockey players struggled with developing their off-the-ice identities and with finding other sources of meaning for their lives.Lay abstractDespite considerable attention to improving the initial management of concussions suffered by hockey players, few studies have examined their long-term effects. In response, the study reported here aimed to describe what suffering multiple concussions meant for former semi-professional or professional hockey players who were forced to end their career. Nine former Swedish hockey players, who once played on national or professional teams were interviewed and the interviews were analyzed in order to interpret and explain their experiences. The overall theme was formulated as losing one’s identity as a hockey player. In conclusion, the former hockey players seem to struggle with developing their off-the-ice identities and with finding other sources of meaning for their lives.
|
|
| 2. |
- Gard, Anna, et al.
(författare)
-
Quality of life of ice hockey players after retirement due to concussions
- 2020
-
Ingår i: Concussion. - : Future Medicine. - 2056-3299. ; 5:3
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Sports-related concussion (SRC) is increasingly recognized as a potential health problem in ice hockey. Quality of life (QoL) in players retiring due to SRC has not been thoroughly addressed. Materials & methods: QoL using the Sports Concussion Assessment Tool 5th Edition, Impact of Event Scale-Revised and Short Form Health Survey was measured in Swedish ice hockey players who retired due to persistence of postconcussion symptoms or fear of attaining additional SRC. Results: A total of 76 players were assessed, on average of 5 years after their most recent SRC. Overall, retired players had a high burden of postconcussion symptoms and reduced QoL. Conclusion: Retired concussed ice hockey players have a reduced QoL, particularly those retiring due to postconcussion symptoms. Symptom burden should be continuously evaluated and guide the decision to retire.
|
|
| 3. |
- Gard, Anna, et al.
(författare)
-
Widespread White Matter Abnormalities in Concussed Athletes Detected by 7T Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- 2024
-
Ingår i: Journal of Neurotrauma. - : Mary Ann Liebert. - 0897-7151 .- 1557-9042. ; 41:13-14, s. 1533-1549
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Sports-related concussions may cause white matter injuries and persistent post-concussive symptoms (PPCS). We hypothesized that athletes with PPCS would have neurocognitive impairments and white matter abnormalities that could be revealed by advanced neuroimaging using ultra-high field strength diffusion tensor (DTI) and diffusion kurtosis (DKI) imaging metrics and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers. A cohort of athletes with PPCS severity limiting the ability to work/study and participate in sport school and/or social activities for ≥6 months completed 7T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (morphological T1-weighed volumetry, DTI and DKI), extensive neuropsychological testing, symptom rating, and CSF biomarker sampling. Twenty-two athletes with PPCS and 22 controls were included. Concussed athletes performed below norms and significantly lower than controls on all but one of the psychometric neuropsychology tests. Supratentorial white and gray matter, as well as hippocampal volumes did not differ between concussed athletes and controls. However, of the 72 examined white matter tracts, 16% of DTI and 35% of DKI metrics (in total 28%) were significantly different between concussed athletes and controls. DKI fractional anisotropy and axial kurtosis were increased, and DKI radial diffusivity and radial kurtosis decreased in concussed athletes when compared with controls. CSF neurofilament light (NfL; an axonal injury marker), although not glial fibrillary acidic protein, correlated with several diffusion metrics. In this first 7T DTI and DKI study investigating PPCS, widespread microstructural alterations were observed in the white matter, correlating with CSF markers of axonal injury. More white matter changes were observed using DKI than using DTI. These white matter alterations may indicate persistent pathophysiological processes following concussion in sport.
|
|
| 4. |
- Marklund, Niklas, et al.
(författare)
-
Tau aggregation and increased neuroinflammation in athletes after sports-related concussions and in traumatic brain injury patients – A PET/MR study
- 2021
-
Ingår i: NeuroImage. - : Elsevier. - 2213-1582. ; 30
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and repeated sports-related concussions (rSRCs) are associated with an increased risk for neurodegeneration. Autopsy findings of selected cohorts of long-term TBI survivors and rSRC athletes reveal increased tau aggregation and a persistent neuroinflammation. To assess in vivo tau aggregation and neuroinflammation in young adult TBI and rSRC cohorts, we evaluated 9 healthy controls (mean age 26 ± 5 years; 4 males, 5 females), 12 symptomatic athletes (26 ± 7 years; 6 males, 6 females) attaining ≥3 previous SRCs, and 6 moderate-to severe TBI patients (27 ± 7 years; 4 males, 2 females) in a combined positron emission tomography (PET)/magnetic resonance (MR) scanner ≥6 months post-injury. Dual PET tracers, [18F]THK5317 for tau aggregation and [11C]PK11195 for neuroinflammation/microglial activation, were investigated on the same day. The Repeated Battery Assessment of Neurological Status (RBANS) scores, used for cognitive evaluation, were lower in both the rSRC and TBI groups (p < 0.05). Neurofilament-light (NF-L) levels were increased in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF; p < 0.05), and serum tau levels lower, in TBI although not in rSRC. In rSRC athletes, PET imaging showed increased neuroinflammation in the hippocampus and tau aggregation in the corpus callosum. In TBI patients, tau aggregation was observed in thalami, temporal white matter and midbrain; widespread neuroinflammation was found e.g. in temporal white matter, hippocampus and corpus callosum. In mixed-sex cohorts of young adult athletes with persistent post-concussion symptoms and in TBI patients, increased tau aggregation and neuroinflammation are observed at ≥6 months post-injury using PET. Studies with extended clinical follow-up, biomarker examinations and renewed PET imaging are needed to evaluate whether these findings progress to a neurodegenerative disorder or if spontaneous resolution is possible.
|
|
| 5. |
- Shahim, Pashtun, 1984, et al.
(författare)
-
Association of Plasma Biomarker Levels With Their CSF Concentration and the Number and Severity of Concussions in Professional Athletes
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Neurology. - : Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health). - 0028-3878 .- 1526-632X. ; 99:4
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background and Objectives To examine whether the brain biomarkers total-tau (T-tau), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and beta-amyloid (A beta) isomers 40 and 42 in plasma relate to the corresponding concentrations in CSF, blood-brain barrier integrity, and duration of postconcussion syndrome (PCS) due to repetitive head impacts (RHIs) in professional athletes. Method In this cross-sectional study, professional athletes with persistent PCS due to RHI (median of 1.5 years after recent concussion) and uninjured controls were assessed with blood and CSF sampling. The diagnosis of PCS was based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fourth Edition). The athletes were enrolled through information flyers about the study sent to the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) and the SHL Medicine Committee. The controls were enrolled through flyers at University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Sweden. The participants underwent lumbar puncture and blood assessment at Sahlgrenska University Hospital. The main outcome measures were history of RHI and PCS severity (PCS >1 year vs PCS <1 year) in relation to plasma and CSF concentrations of T-tau, GFAP, A beta 40, and A beta 42. Plasma T-tau, GFAP, A beta 40, and A beta 42 were quantified using an ultrasensitive assay technology. Results A total of 47 participants (28 athletes [median age 28 years, range 18-52] with persistent PCS due to RHI and 19 controls [median age, 25 years, range 21-35]) underwent paired blood and CSF sampling. T-tau, A beta 40, and A beta 42 concentrations measured in plasma did not correlate with the corresponding CSF concentrations, while there was a correlation between plasma and CSF levels of GFAP (r = 0.45, p = 0.020). There were no significant relationships between plasma T-tau, GFAP, and blood-brain barrier integrity as measured by the CSF:serum albumin ratio. T-tau, GFAP, A beta 40, and A beta 42 measured in plasma did not relate to PCS severity. None of the markers measured in plasma correlated with number of concussions, except decreased A beta 42 in those with higher number of concussions (r = -0.40, p = 0.04). Discussion T-tau, GFAP, A beta 40, and A beta 42 measured in plasma do not correspond to CSF measures and may have limited utility for the evaluation of the late effects of RHI, compared with when measured in CSF. Classification of Evidence This study provides Class III evidence that in professional athletes with postconcussion symptoms, plasma concentrations of T-tau, GFAP, A beta 40, and A beta 42 are not informative in the diagnosis of late effects of repetitive head injuries.
|
|
| 6. |
- Shahim, Pashtun, 1984, et al.
(författare)
-
Astroglial activation and altered amyloid metabolism in human repetitive concussion
- 2017
-
Ingår i: Neurology. - : American Academy of Neurology. - 0028-3878 .- 1526-632X. ; 88:15, s. 1400-1407
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: To determine whether postconcussion syndrome (PCS) due to repetitive concussive traumatic brain injury (rcTBI) is associated with CSF biomarker evidence of astroglial activation, amyloid deposition, and blood–brain barrier (BBB) impairment.Methods: A total of 47 participants (28 professional athletes with PCS and 19 controls) were assessed with lumbar puncture (median 1.5 years, range 0.25–12 years after last concussion), standard MRI of the brain, and Rivermead Post-Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire (RPQ). The main outcome measures were CSF concentrations of astroglial activation markers (glial fibrillary acidic protein [GFAP] and YKL-40), markers reflecting amyloid precursor protein metabolism (Aβ38, Aβ40, Aβ42, sAPPα, and sAPPβ), and BBB function (CSF:serum albumin ratio).Results: Nine of the 28 athletes returned to play within a year, while 19 had persistent PCS >1 year. Athletes with PCS >1 year had higher RPQ scores and number of concussions than athletes with PCS <1 year. Median concentrations of GFAP and YKL-40 were higher in athletes with PCS >1 year compared with controls, although with an overlap between the groups. YKL-40 correlated with RPQ score and the lifetime number of concussions. Athletes with rcTBI had lower concentrations of Aβ40 and Aβ42 than controls. The CSF:serum albumin ratio was unaltered.Conclusions: This study suggests that PCS may be associated with biomarker evidence of astroglial activation and β-amyloid (Aβ) dysmetabolism in the brain. There was no clear evidence of Aβ deposition as Aβ40 and Aβ42 were reduced in parallel. The CSF:serum albumin ratio was unaltered, suggesting that the BBB is largely intact in PCS.
|
|
| 7. |
|
|
| 8. |
- Shahim, Pashtun, 1984, et al.
(författare)
-
Blood biomarkers for brain injury in concussed professional ice hockey players
- 2014
-
Ingår i: JAMA Neurology. - : American Medical Association (AMA). - 2168-6149 .- 2168-6157. ; 71:6, s. 684-692
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- IMPORTANCE Lack of objective biomarkers for brain damage hampers acute diagnosis and clinical decision making about return to play after sports-related concussion. OBJECTIVES To determine whether sports-related concussion is associated with elevated levels of blood biochemical markers of injury to the central nervous system and to assess whether plasma levels of these biomarkers predict return to play in professional ice hockey players with sports-related concussion. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Multicenter prospective cohort study involving all 12teams of the top professional ice hockey league in Sweden, the Swedish Hockey League. Two hundred eighty-eight professional ice hockey players from 12 teams contesting during the 2012-2013 season consented to participate. All players underwent clinical preseason baseline testing regarding concussion assessment measures. Forty-seven players from 2 of the 12 ice hockey teams underwent blood sampling prior to the start of the season. Thirty-five players had a concussion from September 13, 2012, to January 31, 2013; of these players, 28 underwent repeated blood sampling at 1, 12, 36, and 144 hours and when the players returned to play. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Total tau, S-100 calcium-binding protein B, and neuron-specific enolase concentrations in plasma and serum were measured.
|
|
| 9. |
|
|
| 10. |
|
|
