Sub-Concussive Hit Characteristics Predict Deviant Brain Metabolism in Football Athletes

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy and helmet telemetry were used to monitor the neural metabolic response to repetitive head collisions in 25 high school American football athletes. Specific hit characteristics were determined highly predictive of metabolic alterations, suggesting that sub-concussive blows can produce biochemical changes and potentially lead to neurological problems.

[1]  J. Gilger,et al.  Biomechanical correlates of symptomatic and asymptomatic neurophysiological impairment in high school football. , 2012, Journal of biomechanics.

[2]  J. Sosnoff,et al.  Biomechanical properties of concussions in high school football. , 2010, Medicine and science in sports and exercise.

[3]  Evan L Breedlove,et al.  MR Spectroscopic Evidence of Brain Injury in the Non-Diagnosed Collision Sport Athlete , 2014, Developmental neuropsychology.

[4]  T. G. Burns,et al.  Pediatric sports specific return to play guidelines following concussion. , 2014, International journal of sports physical therapy.

[5]  M. Hallett,et al.  The use of magnetic resonance spectroscopy in the subacute evaluation of athletes recovering from single and multiple mild traumatic brain injury. , 2012, Journal of neurotrauma.

[6]  G. Lazzarino,et al.  Biochemical and neurochemical sequelae following mild traumatic brain injury: summary of experimental data and clinical implications. , 2010, Neurosurgical focus.

[7]  Charles Gasparovic,et al.  A longitudinal proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy study of mild traumatic brain injury. , 2011, Journal of neurotrauma.

[8]  T. Talavage,et al.  Functionally-detected cognitive impairment in high school football players without clinically-diagnosed concussion. , 2014, Journal of neurotrauma.

[9]  Bethany J. Wilcox,et al.  Head impact exposure in collegiate football players. , 2011, Journal of biomechanics.

[10]  S. Provencher.  Estimation of metabolite concentrations from localized in vivo proton NMR spectra , 1993, Magnetic resonance in medicine.

[11]  E. Alexander,et al.  Choline, an essential nutrient for humans , 1991, Nutrition.

[12]  G. Lazzarino,et al.  The Relevance of Assessing Cerebral Metabolic Recovery for a Safe Return to Play Following Concussion , 2014 .

[13]  J. Bernarding,et al.  Metabolic changes in the vicinity of brain contusions: a proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy and histology study. , 2003, Journal of neurotrauma.