Exposure to Repetitive Head Impacts Is Associated With Corpus Callosum Microstructure and Plasma Total Tau in Former Professional American Football Players.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Exposure to repetitive head impacts (RHI) is associated with an increased risk of later-life neurobehavioral dysregulation and neurodegenerative disease. The underlying pathomechanisms are largely unknown.

Purpose

To investigate whether RHI exposure is associated with later-life corpus callosum (CC) microstructure and whether CC microstructure is associated with plasma total tau and neuropsychological/neuropsychiatric functioning.

Study type

Retrospective cohort study.

Population

Seventy-five former professional American football players (age 55.2 ± 8.0 years) with cognitive, behavioral, and mood symptoms.

Field strength/sequence

Diffusion-weighted echo-planar MRI at 3 T.

Assessment

Subjects underwent diffusion MRI, venous puncture, neu

SUBMITTER: Kochsiek J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8633029 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature