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Functional connectivity changes in neurodegenerative biomarker-positive athletes with repeated concussions
Indira Garcia-Cordero, Anna Vasilevskaya, Foad Taghdiri, Mozhgan Khodadadi, David Mikulis, Apameh Tarazi, Asma Mushtaque, Neda Anssari et al.. Journal of neurology, 2024-04-08
Topic: Brain imaging, connectivity and assessment
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.
Key findings
- 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.
- 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.
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Study details
- Participants16
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 50/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record, times cited, citations per year, impact for its field and year, cited by studies here, still being cited, senior author's track record, institution's track record, multi-centre collaboration and free to read, so those were left out: it earned 28 of the 56 points we could judge it on, which is 50 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of neurology) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2024 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 16 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | — / 7 | No citation count (not found in OpenAlex) — left out of this score |
| Citations per year | — / 5 | No citation count or no year — left out of this score |
| Impact for its field and year | — / 6 | No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score |
| Cited by studies here | — / 6 | Not yet checked against this library's citation graph — left out of this score |
| Still being cited | — / 4 | No yearly citation counts — left out of this score |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multi-centre collaboration | — / 3 | Institutions not listed — left out of this score |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 38589629) |
| Free to read | — / 2 | Access not recorded — left out of this score |
| Points | 28 / 56 | Scored on 10 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 28 of the 56 points we could judge it on is 50 out of 100. |
| Total | 50 / 100 | — |
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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Garcia-Cordero, I., Vasilevskaya, A., Taghdiri, F., Khodadadi, M., Mikulis, D., Tarazi, A., et al. (2024). Functional connectivity changes in neurodegenerative biomarker-positive athletes with repeated concussions. Journal of neurology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-024-12340-1
Vancouver
Garcia-Cordero I, Vasilevskaya A, Taghdiri F, Khodadadi M, Mikulis D, Tarazi A, et al. Functional connectivity changes in neurodegenerative biomarker-positive athletes with repeated concussions. Journal of neurology. 2024. doi:10.1007/s00415-024-12340-1. PMID: 38589629.
BibTeX
@article{garciacordero2024-38589629,
author = {Garcia-Cordero, Indira and Vasilevskaya, Anna and Taghdiri, Foad and Khodadadi, Mozhgan and Mikulis, David and Tarazi, Apameh and Mushtaque, Asma and Anssari, Neda and others},
title = {{Functional connectivity changes in neurodegenerative biomarker-positive athletes with repeated concussions}},
journal = {Journal of neurology},
year = {2024},
doi = {10.1007/s00415-024-12340-1},
pmid = {38589629},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-024-12340-1}
}
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