Comparison of Various Metrics of Repetitive Head Impact Exposure And Their Associations With Neurocognition in Collegiate-Aged Athletes

Abstract Objective Characterize the levels of various metrics of repetitive head impacts (RHI) in contact (CS) and non-contact (NCS) sport athletes and determine the extent to which they are associated with fluid cognition. Methods Collegiate-aged athletes (n = 176) completed semi-structured intervi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Archives of clinical neuropsychology 2023-07, Vol.38 (5), p.714-723
Main Authors: Amadon, Grace K, Goeckner, Bryna D, Brett, Benjamin L, Meier, Timothy B
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aged
Athletes
Athletic Injuries - complications
Benchmarking
Brain Concussion - complications
Brain Injuries, Traumatic - complications
Child
Dementia - complications
Female
Humans
Neuropsychological Tests
Sports
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Summary:Abstract Objective Characterize the levels of various metrics of repetitive head impacts (RHI) in contact (CS) and non-contact (NCS) sport athletes and determine the extent to which they are associated with fluid cognition. Methods Collegiate-aged athletes (n = 176) completed semi-structured interviews about participation in contact sport. RHI was operationalized based on current sport (CS/NCS), the cumulative number of years of participation, age at first exposure (AFE), and based on recently proposed traumatic encephalopathy syndrome (TES) categories. The NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery assessed fluid cognition. General linear models compared RHI metrics between CS and NCS athletes and tested associations of RHI measures with fluid cognition. Results CS athletes had more years of RHI exposure, higher rates of “extensive” exposure based on TES criteria, and were more likely to have AFE before age 12 relative to NCS (ps  .05). Across all RHI metrics, more or earlier RHI was associated with better episodic memory (ps ≤ .05). Secondary analyses showed this effect was driven by women. Conclusions Current results find no evidence that RHI in collegiate-aged athletes is associated with worse neurocognition. Although there was extensive overlap among RHI measures, results demonstrate that categorizing athletes based on their current sport undercounts the lifetime RHI exposure in many NCS athletes.
ISSN:1873-5843
1873-5843
DOI:10.1093/arclin/acac107