Uncovering the hidden effects of repetitive subconcussive head impact exposure: A mega-analytic approach characterizing seasonal brain microstructural changes in contact and collision sports athletes.

ABSTRACT: Repetitive subconcussive head impacts (RSHI) are believed to induce sub-clinical brain injuries, potentially resulting in cumulative, long-term brain alterations. This study explores patterns of longitudinal brain white matter changes across sports with RSHI-exposure. A systematic literature search identified 22 datasets with longitudinal diffusion magnetic resonance imaging data. Four datasets were centrally pooled to perform uniform quality control and data preprocessing. A total of 131 non-concussed active athletes (American football, rugby, ice hockey; mean age: 20.06 ± 2.06 years) with baseline and post-season data were included. Nonparametric permutation inference (one-sample t tests, one-sided) was applied to analyze the difference maps of multiple diffusion parameters. The analyses

SUBMITTER: Kwiatkowski A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11345636 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature