Multi-parametric analysis reveals metabolic and vascular effects driving differences in BOLD-based cerebrovascular reactivity associated with a history of sport concussion.
Allen A Champagne, Nicole S Coverdale, Michael Germuska and 1 others
PMID 31354054WHAT IT FOUND
Male football players with concussion history had a stronger brain oxygen signal response to carbon dioxide than controls, but the difference was linked partly to resting metabolism, not blood flow alone, and did not track symptoms.
Key findings
01Athletes with concussion history had higher brain oxygen signal reactivity to carbon dioxide than controls in several brain regions.
02In the significant region, the brain oxygen signal change per mmHg carbon dioxide was 0.28 ± 0.06 %ΔBOLD/mmHg in athletes with concussion history and 0.21 ± 0.03 %ΔBOLD/mmHg in controls.
03The brain oxygen signal reactivity difference did not relate to concussion count, time since last injury, or SCAT symptom and severity scores.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
Concussion history and symptoms were self-reported, and athletes may fail to report previous injuries. The study included only 63 current male collegiate football players, so it does not tell us about females, other sports, or retired athletes. The imaging model assumed fixed values for several physiological parameters, so the separate effects of metabolism, blood volume and vessel factors cannot be fully separated. The study did not measure brain blood flow during a cognitive task, so it cannot show how the imaging differences affect everyday thinking or symptom severity. Football position was used as a rough proxy for repeated head impacts, but it did not accurately measure lifetime exposure.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the higher brain oxygen signal response as a clinical marker of concussion symptoms. The imaging difference did not relate to concussion count, time since last injury, or SCAT symptom scores, and the study included only 63 male football players.