Objective: To measure cognitive impairment in athletes with a history of concussion, using an fMRI neuropsychological test battery.Background: American football is a controversial sport with recent research raising concerns about the long-term neurological consequences of repetitive concussive and sub-concussive injuries. Despite this interest, the neural and psychological status of retired American football players remains unknown.Design/Methods: We evaluated the performances and brain activation patterns of retired National Football League players (NFL alumni) relative to controls using fMRI optimised neuropsychological tests. Results:Behaviourally, the NFL alumni showed only modest performance deficits on tests of memory and planning. By contrast, they showed pronounced hyperactivation of the dorsolateral frontal and frontopolar cortices, particularly under higher planning demand. Critically, frontal lobe hyperactivation was correlated with a self-reported estimate of the number of concussions suffered across the career and was robust at the individual participant level.Conclusions: These results support the hypothesis that NFL alumni have a heightened risk of developing frontal lobe dysfunction and suggest that fMRI can provide a sensitive marker of cognitive decline.
Disclosure: Dr. Hubbard has received personal compensation for activities with ACADIA Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Hubbard holds stock and/or stock options in ACADIA Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Hampshire has received research support from Hubbard Foundation. Dr. Owen has received research support from the Hubbard Foundation.
Original Article: http://www.neurology.org/cgi/content/short/82/10_Supplement/I12-1.001?rss=1
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