NFL LONG Prospective Study

Summary

The purpose of this 5-year prospective research study is to characterize the association between concussions, sub-concussive exposure, and long-term neurologic health outcomes in former NFL players. To achieve the study aims, the investigators will conduct detailed research visits that include clinical outcome assessments, blood-based biomarkers, advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET) using investigational tracers and genetic testing. Ultimately, the goal of this study is to translate the findings from this study into clinical, interventional studies for at risk former NFL players.

Timeline

Start

2020-03-12

Primary completion

2028-08

Completion

2028-08

Publications

• Background Randolph C, Karantzoulis S, Guskiewicz K. Prevalence and characterization of mild cognitive impairment in retired national football league players. J Int Neuropsychol Soc. 2013 Sep;19(8):873-80. doi: 10.1017/S1355617713000805. Epub 2013 Aug 1.
• Background Guskiewicz KM, Marshall SW, Bailes J, McCrea M, Cantu RC, Randolph C, Jordan BD. Association between recurrent concussion and late-life cognitive impairment in retired professional football players. Neurosurgery. 2005 Oct;57(4):719-26; discussion 719-26. doi: 10.1093/neurosurgery/57.4.719.
• Background Kerr ZY, Marshall SW, Harding HP Jr, Guskiewicz KM. Nine-year risk of depression diagnosis increases with increasing self-reported concussions in retired professional football players. Am J Sports Med. 2012 Oct;40(10):2206-12. doi: 10.1177/0363546512456193. Epub 2012 Aug 24.
• Background Clark MD, Varangis EML, Champagne AA, Giovanello KS, Shi F, Kerr ZY, Smith JK, Guskiewicz KM. Effects of Career Duration, Concussion History, and Playing Position on White Matter Microstructure and Functional Neural Recruitment in Former College and Professional Football Athletes. Radiology. 2018 Mar;286(3):967-977. doi: 10.1148/radiol.2017170539. Epub 2017 Oct 31.
• Background Meehan WP 3rd, Taylor AM, Berkner P, Sandstrom NJ, Peluso MW, Kurtz MM, Pascual-Leone A, Mannix R. Division III Collision Sports Are Not Associated with Neurobehavioral Quality of Life. J Neurotrauma. 2016 Jan 15;33(2):254-9. doi: 10.1089/neu.2015.3930. Epub 2015 Jul 20.
• Background Mannix R, Meehan WP 3rd, Pascual-Leone A. Sports-related concussions - media, science and policy. Nat Rev Neurol. 2016 Aug;12(8):486-90. doi: 10.1038/nrneurol.2016.99. Epub 2016 Jul 1.
• Background Carson A. Concussion, dementia and CTE: are we getting it very wrong? J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2017 Jun;88(6):462-464. doi: 10.1136/jnnp-2016-315510. Epub 2017 Apr 10. No abstract available.
• Background Meehan W 3rd, Mannix R, Zafonte R, Pascual-Leone A. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy and athletes. Neurology. 2015 Oct 27;85(17):1504-11. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000001893. Epub 2015 Aug 7.
• Background Deshpande SK, Hasegawa RB, Rabinowitz AR, Whyte J, Roan CL, Tabatabaei A, Baiocchi M, Karlawish JH, Master CL, Small DS. Association of Playing High School Football With Cognition and Mental Health Later in Life. JAMA Neurol. 2017 Aug 1;74(8):909-918. doi: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2017.1317.
• Background Baugh CM, Kroshus E, Kiernan PT, Mendel D, Meehan WP 3rd. Football Players' Perceptions of Future Risk of Concussion and Concussion-Related Health Outcomes. J Neurotrauma. 2017 Feb 15;34(4):790-797. doi: 10.1089/neu.2016.4585. Epub 2016 Sep 16.
• Background Zemlan FP, Jauch EC, Mulchahey JJ, Gabbita SP, Rosenberg WS, Speciale SG, Zuccarello M. C-tau biomarker of neuronal damage in severe brain injured patients: association with elevated intracranial pressure and clinical outcome. Brain Res. 2002 Aug 23;947(1):131-9. doi: 10.1016/s0006-8993(02)02920-7.
• Background Van Essen DC, Smith SM, Barch DM, Behrens TE, Yacoub E, Ugurbil K; WU-Minn HCP Consortium. The WU-Minn Human Connectome Project: an overview. Neuroimage. 2013 Oct 15;80:62-79. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2013.05.041. Epub 2013 May 16.
• Background Smith SM, Beckmann CF, Andersson J, Auerbach EJ, Bijsterbosch J, Douaud G, Duff E, Feinberg DA, Griffanti L, Harms MP, Kelly M, Laumann T, Miller KL, Moeller S, Petersen S, Power J, Salimi-Khorshidi G, Snyder AZ, Vu AT, Woolrich MW, Xu J, Yacoub E, Ugurbil K, Van Essen DC, Glasser MF; WU-Minn HCP Consortium. Resting-state fMRI in the Human Connectome Project. Neuroimage. 2013 Oct 15;80:144-68. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2013.05.039. Epub 2013 May 20.
• Background Glasser MF, Sotiropoulos SN, Wilson JA, Coalson TS, Fischl B, Andersson JL, Xu J, Jbabdi S, Webster M, Polimeni JR, Van Essen DC, Jenkinson M; WU-Minn HCP Consortium. The minimal preprocessing pipelines for the Human Connectome Project. Neuroimage. 2013 Oct 15;80:105-24. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2013.04.127. Epub 2013 May 11.
• Background Hampshire A, MacDonald A, Owen AM. Hypoconnectivity and hyperfrontality in retired American football players. Sci Rep. 2013 Oct 17;3:2972. doi: 10.1038/srep02972.
• Background Kaushal M, Espana LY, Nencka AS, Wang Y, Nelson LD, McCrea MA, Meier TB. Resting-state functional connectivity after concussion is associated with clinical recovery. Hum Brain Mapp. 2019 Mar;40(4):1211-1220. doi: 10.1002/hbm.24440. Epub 2018 Nov 19.

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