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- Vasilevskaya, A., et al.
(author)
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Investigating the use of plasma pTau181 in retired contact sports athletes
- 2022
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In: Journal of Neurology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0340-5354 .- 1432-1459. ; 269, s. 5582-5595
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Considering the wide range of outcomes following sport-related concussions, biomarkers are needed to detect underlying pathological changes. The objective was to analyze the use of plasma phosphorylated tau 181 (pTau181) as a non-invasive measure of underlying brain changes in a cohort of retired contact sports athletes at risk of neurodegeneration. Methods: Fifty-four retired contact sport athletes and 27 healthy controls whose blood plasma was analyzed for pTau181 were included. A portion (N = 21) of retired athletes had a 2-years follow-up visit. All participants had completed a neuropsychological battery and MRI imaging. Results: Plasma pTau181 was significantly higher in retired athletes compared to healthy controls (8.94 ± 5.08pg/mL vs. 6.00 ± 2.53pg/mL, respectively; 95% BCa CI 1.38–4.62; p = 0.02); and was significantly associated with fornix fractional anisotropy values only in the athletes group (β = − 0.002; 95% BCa CI − 0.003 to − 0.001; p = 0.002). When the retired athletes cohort was divided into high vs. normal pTau181 groups, the corpus callosum (CC) volume and white-matter integrity was significantly lower in high pTau181 compared to older healthy controls (CC volume: 1.57 ± 0.19 vs. 2.02 ± 0.32, p = 0.002; CC medial diffusivity: 0.96 ± 0.04 × 10–3 mm2/s vs. 0.90 ± 0.03 × 10–3 mm2/s, p = 0.003; CC axial diffusivity: 1.49 ± 0.04 × 10–3 mm2/s vs. 1.41 ± 0.02 × 10–3 mm2/s, p < 0.001, respectively). Conclusions: Although high plasma pTau181 levels were associated with abnormalities in CC and fornix, baseline pTau181 did not predict longitudinal changes in regional brain volumes or white-matter integrity in the athletes. pTau181 may be useful for identifying those with brain abnormalities related to repeated concussion but not for predicting progression.
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- Garcia-Cordero, Indira, et al.
(author)
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Functional connectivity changes in neurodegenerative biomarker-positive athletes with repeated concussions
- 2024
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In: JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY. - 0340-5354 .- 1432-1459.
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Multimodal biomarkers may identify former contact sports athletes with repeated concussions and at risk for dementia. Our study aims to investigate whether biomarker evidence of neurodegeneration in former professional athletes with repetitive concussions (ExPro) is associated with worse cognition and mood/behavior, brain atrophy, and altered functional connectivity. Forty-one contact sports athletes with repeated concussions were divided into neurodegenerative biomarker-positive (n = 16) and biomarker-negative (n = 25) groups based on positivity of serum neurofilament light-chain. Six healthy controls (negative for biomarkers) with no history of concussions were also analyzed. We calculated cognitive and mood/behavior composite scores from neuropsychological assessments. Gray matter volume maps and functional connectivity of the default mode, salience, and frontoparietal networks were compared between groups using ANCOVAs, controlling for age, and total intracranial volume. The association between the connectivity networks and sports characteristics was analyzed by multiple regression analysis in all ExPro. Participants presented normal-range mean performance in executive function, memory, and mood/behavior tests. The ExPro groups did not differ in professional years played, age at first participation in contact sports, and number of concussions. There were no differences in gray matter volume between groups. The neurodegenerative biomarker-positive group had lower connectivity in the default mode network (DMN) compared to the healthy controls and the neurodegenerative biomarker-negative group. DMN disconnection was associated with increased number of concussions in all ExPro. Biomarkers of neurodegeneration may be useful to detect athletes that are still cognitively normal, but with functional connectivity alterations after concussions and at risk of dementia.
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