Contact Sports and Parkinsonism Linked! Prevent Repetitive Head Injuries

The most extensive research on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), to date, has revealed a connection between participating in contact sports and the development of a movement disorder referred to as parkinsonism. A study on 481 deceased athletes indicates that the majority of individuals with CTE experienced parkinsonism, with CTE pathology being the likely cause of parkinsonism symptoms in most instances. This study was conducted by researchers at Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine and VA Boston Healthcare, which was released today in JAMA Neurology.

The symptoms of Parkinsonism are similar to those of Parkinson's disease, including tremors, slowed movements, and stiffness in the arms or legs. It has long been linked to traumatic brain injury (TBI) and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a neurodegenerative disease associated with repetitive head impact (RHI) exposure. However, the precise pathologies responsible for these symptoms in CTE remained unidentified (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Substantia Nigra Pathology, Contact Sports Play, and Parkinsonism in Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy

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Link between Parkinson’s Disease, Parkinsonism and Pathology

Parkinson's disease is traditionally linked to the accumulation of Lewy bodies in brain cells; however, a study revealed that 76% of individuals with CTE and Parkinsonism did not exhibit Lewy body pathology.

"We were surprised to find that most individuals with CTE and parkinsonism did not have Lewy body pathology," observed Thor Stein, MD, PhD, associate professor of pathology & laboratory medicine at BU and VA Boston Healthcare, and one of the corresponding authors of the study. "Rather," Stein explained, "subjects with parkinsonism were more likely to have more severe CTE-related brain cell death in a region of the brainstem important for controlling movement."

CTE is a progressive brain condition that is primarily caused by repeated head injuries, such as those sustained in contact sports. Research conducted in 2018 by the same group of researchers revealed that the time spent playing contact sports is linked to a higher risk of developing Lewy body disease. However, the current study is the first to establish a connection between engaging in contact sports, brainstem pathology, and parkinsonism in individuals with CTE.

"Increased CTE severity has been shown to be associated with longer duration of play," noted Daniel Kirsch, an MD/PhD student at BU and one of the first authors of the study. "In this study, we found that an additional eight years of contact sport play was associated with 50% increased risk of more severe disease in a specific area of the brainstem that controls movement."

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The subjects of the research study had donated their brains to the Understanding Neurologic Injury and Traumatic Encephalopathy (UNITE) brain bank. A comparison was made between those with parkinsonism and those without, in order to determine the various pathologies that could identify reasons why certain individuals with CTE exhibit such symptoms and to explore any associations with the duration of time spent on contact sports.

The study suggests that repetitive head impacts is associated with neuropathologic processes that lead to symptoms of parkinsonism in individuals with CTE.

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It is crucial to recognize the lasting impact of repetitive head injuries and to implement preventive measures in contact sports in order to reduce the likelihood of developing neurodegenerative conditions such as CTE and parkinsonism.

Reference:

1. Substantia Nigra Pathology, Contact Sports Play, and Parkinsonism in Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy - (https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaneurology/fullarticle/2820667)

Source-Medindia