Interaction of APOE4 alleles and PET tau imaging in former contact sport athletes.

BACKGROUND: Genetic polymorphisms like apolipoprotein E (APOE) and microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT) genes increase the risk of neurodegeneration. METHODS: 38 former players (age 52.63±14.02) of contact sports underwent neuroimaging, biofluid collection, and comprehensive neuropsychological assessment. The [F-18]AV-1451 tracer signal was compared in the cortical grey matter between APOE4 allele carriers and non-carriers as well as carriers of MAPT H1H1 vs non-H1H1. Participants were then divided into the high (N = 13) and low (N = 13) groups based on cortical PET tau standard uptake value ratios (SUVRs) for comparison. FINDINGS: Cortical grey matter PET tau SUVR values were significantly higher in APOE4 carriers compared to non-carriers (p = 0.020). In contrast, there was no significant difference in SUVR between MAPT H1H1 vs non-H1H1 carrier genes (p = 1.00). There was a significantly higher APOE4 allele frequency in the high cortical grey matter PET tau group, comparing to low cortical grey matter PET tau group (p = 0.048). No significant difference in neuropsychological function was found between APOE4 allele carriers and non-carriers. INTERPRETATION: There is an association between higher cortical grey matter tau burden as seen with [F-18]AV-1451 PET tracer SUVR, and the APOE4 allele in former professional and semi-professional players at high risk of concussions. APOE4 allele may be a risk factor for tau accumulation in former contact sports athletes at high risk of neurodegeneration. FUNDING: Toronto General and Western Hospital Foundations; Weston Brain Institute; Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in ageing; Krembil Research Institute. There was no role of the funders in this study.

Elevated cerebrospinal fluid total tau in former professional athletes with multiple concussions.

OBJECTIVE: To identify CSF biomarkers that are related to decreased white matter (WM) integrity and poor cognitive performance in former professional athletes with a history of multiple concussions. METHODS: Concentrations of phosphorylated tau181, total tau (t-tau), and ß-amyloid in the CSF were measured in 3 groups: 22 former professional athletes with multiple concussions (mean ± SD age 55.9 ± 12.2 years), 5 healthy controls (age 57.4 ± 5.2 years), and 12 participants (age 60.0 ± 6.6 years) diagnosed with Alzheimer disease (AD). All participants in the former athletes group underwent diffusion tensor imaging to determine WM tract integrity and completed neuropsychological testing. We divided the former athletes group into those with normal (<300 pg/mL) and high (>300 pg/mL) CSF t-tau. RESULTS: CSF t-tau in the former athletes group was significantly higher than in the healthy control group (349.3 ± 182.6 vs 188.8 ± 39.9 pg/mL, p = 0.003) and significantly lower than in the patients with AD (349.3 ± 182.6 vs 857.0 ± 449.3 pg/mL, p = 0.007). Fractional anisotropy values across all the tracts were significantly lower in the high CSF t-tau group compared to the normal CSF t-tau group (p = 0.036). Participants in the high CSF t-tau group scored significantly lower on the Trail Making Test (TMT) Part B compared to the normal CSF t-tau group (t scores 45.6 ± 18.8 vs 62.3 ± 10.1, p = 0.017). CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that former athletes with multiple concussions are at increased risk of elevated levels of CSF t-tau and that high CSF t-tau is associated with reduced WM integrity and worse scores on the TMT Part B.

Motor Function in Former Professional Football Players with History of Multiple Concussions.

The objective of this study was to assess the incidence of motor impairment in former professional Canadian Football League (ex-CFL) players with multiple concussions. We investigated motor symptoms and signs in 45 ex-CFL players with multiple concussions and 25 age- and education-matched healthy controls with no history of concussion. Neurological assessment included items from the SCAT3 (Sport Concussion Assessment Tool 3) and the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale part III (UPDRS-Part III). A performance-based measurement of manual motor function was undertaken using the Grooved Pegboard test. Cognition was measured with patient-reported outcomes for memory, executive and behavioral symptoms as well as performance-based measures of memory and executive function. Symptoms of anxiety and depression were measured using the Personality Assessment Inventory. There was no significant difference between the ex-CFL players and controls on the UPDRS-Part III scores, and neither group reported clinically significant motor complaints. Ex-CFL players did not perform differently from control subjects on the Grooved Pegboard test. In contrast, with regard to cognitive and mood testing, players were more symptomatic: The ex-CFL players reported significantly more memory (77.8% vs. 16%, respectively, p < 0.001), executive (53.3% vs. 8%, respectively, p < 0.001), and behavioral symptoms (66.7% vs. 20%, respectively, p < 0.001). No significant differences were found when comparing ex-CFL players and controls in performance on memory and executive tests. In summary, in a group of retired CFL players who self-reported declines in memory, executive and behavioral symptoms, no motor symptoms were reported and no motor signs were detected.

Decreased Number of Self-Paced Saccades in Post-Concussion Syndrome Associated with Higher Symptom Burden and Reduced White Matter Integrity.

The aim of this study was to examine the potential utility of a self-paced saccadic eye movement as a marker of post-concussion syndrome (PCS) and monitoring the recovery from PCS. Fifty-nine persistently symptomatic participants with at least two concussions performed the self-paced saccade (SPS) task. We evaluated the relationships between the number of SPSs and 1) number of self-reported concussion symptoms, and 2) integrity of major white matter (WM) tracts (as measured by fractional anisotropy [FA] and mean diffusivity) that are directly or indirectly involved in saccadic eye movements and often affected by concussion. These tracts included the uncinate fasciculus (UF), cingulum (Cg) and its three subcomponents (subgenual, retrosplenial, and parahippocampal), superior longitudinal fasciculus, and corpus callosum. Mediation analyses were carried out to examine whether specific WM tracts (left UF and left subgenual Cg) mediated the relationship between the number of SPSs and 1) interval from last concussion or 2) total number of self-reported symptoms. The number of SPSs was negatively correlated with the total number of self-reported symptoms (r = -0.419, p = 0.026). The number of SPSs were positively correlated with FA of left UF and left Cg (r = 0.421, p = 0.013 and r = 0.452, p = 0.008; respectively). FA of the subgenual subcomponent of the left Cg partially mediated the relationship between the total number of symptoms and the number of SPSs, while FA of the left UF mediated the relationship between interval from last concussion and the number of SPSs. In conclusion, SPS testing as a fast and objective assessment may reflect symptom burden in patients with PCS. In addition, since the number of SPSs is associated with the integrity of some WM tracts, it may be useful as a diagnostic biomarker in patients with PCS.