Year: 2023
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Background Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative disease thought to be caused, in part, by repetitive head impact (RHI) exposure and characterized by phosphorylated tau deposition with varying patterns in the cerebral cortex. Flortaucipir tau PET data from the DIAGNOSE CTE Research Project was examined to investigate tau PET patterns and its relation to RHI exposure in former professional and college American football players. Method In this study, 218 DIAGNOSE CTE participants, ages 45‐74, with flortaucipir PET were included; 104 were former National Football League players (PRO), 58 were former college football players (COL), and 56 had no history of contact sports, other exposure to RHI, or traumatic brain injury (UE). Regional flortaucipir uptake was quantified using established procedures for three previously defined statistical regions (superior frontal, left parietal, and medial temporal) and compared across the three groups. Association analyses were also performed to examine the relationship between flortaucipir uptake and exposure to RHI using the cumulative head impact index for linear acceleration g‐force (CHII‐G). The potential clinical utility of flortaucipir PET for CTE was also investigated by examining its ability to differentiate participants meeting criteria for traumatic encephalopathy syndrome (TES) and probable or possible level of certainty for CTE pathology from those who do not meet those criteria. Result Significantly higher flortaucipir uptake was observed in former football players than in participants without RHI exposure, controlling for age and race for the superior frontal region (Fig. 1A), left parietal, and medial temporal regions. Association between regional flortaucipir uptake and CHII‐G was only observed in the superior frontal region in former players (PRO+COL) 60 years and older (Fig. 1B) and no association was observed in the full PRO+COL group. Flortaucipir PET was not able to differentiate TES groups in former football players (Fig. 1C). Conclusion Elevated flortaucipir uptake was observed in former American football players to a group of unexposed men. The association between flortaucipir uptake and exposure to RHI may require a long latent period to manifest. Further investigation of more sensitive tau PET tracers and quantification techniques is warranted to better characterize CTE related tau pathology.
Source: Alzheimer s & Dementia
DOI: 10.1002/alz.077855
Authors: Yi Su, Hillary D. Protas, Ji Luo, Kewei Chen, Michael L Alosco, Charles Adler, Laura Balcer, Charles B. Bernick, Rhoda Au, Sarah J Banks, William Barr, Michael J Coleman, David W. Dodick, Douglas I Katz, Kenneth Marek, Megan Mariani, Michael D McClean, Ann C. McKee, Jesse B. Mez, Daniel H Daneshvar, Joseph N Palmisano, Elaine R Peskind, Robert W Turner II, Jennifer Wethe, Gil D. Rabinovici, Keith A. Johnson, Yorghos Tripodis, Jeffrey L. Cummings, Martha E Shenton, Robert A Stern, Eric M. Reiman
Institutions: Banner Alzheimer’s Institute, Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium, University of Arizona College of Medicine- Phoenix, Arizona State University, University of Arizona, Boston University, Mayo Clinic in Arizona, New York University, Cleveland Clinic, Lou Ruvo Brain Institute, Framingham Heart Study, University of California San Diego, NYU Langone Health, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Institute for Neurodegenerative Disorders, VA Boston Healthcare System, Harvard University, University of Washington, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, George Washington University, University of California, San Francisco, Massachusetts General Hospital, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Translational Genomics Research Institute
Language: English
Subfield: Epidemiology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W4390194080