A groundbreaking study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has revealed that repeated head impacts associated with contact sports can lead to significant changes in the brains of young to middle-aged athletes, long before the onset of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). These findings underscore the importance of understanding brain health in athletes and the potential for earlier diagnosis and treatment of CTE.
Research conducted by scientists at the Boston University CTE Center and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System focused on postmortem brain tissue from athletes under the age of 51, predominantly those who played American football. Using advanced tools developed through the NIH’s Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies® Initiative (The BRAIN Initiative®), the team examined gene activity and cellular images to uncover early signs of brain changes.
Among the most significant discoveries was a remarkable 56% loss of a specific type of neurons in areas of the brain that experience hard impacts and where the tau protein accumulates. This loss was observed even in athletes who did not exhibit detectable tau buildup, suggesting that neuronal damage can occur much earlier than previously understood.
The study also highlighted the increasing activation of microglia, the brain’s immune cells, in relation to the duration of contact sports played by athletes. Additionally, researchers identified critical molecular changes in the blood vessels of the brain, such as gene patterns indicative of immune activity and thickening of small blood vessels. These findings suggest a potential connection between early cellular issues and the progression of CTE.
One of the most striking aspects of this research is its focus on younger athletes, shifting the paradigm from studying advanced CTE in older individuals to identifying the earliest signs of brain damage. Dr. Richard Hodes, director of the NIH’s National Institute on Aging (NIA), emphasized that the significant, location-specific neuron loss observed in young athletes, even in the absence of detectable CTE, highlights the need for protective measures for young athletes today.
By uncovering these early cellular warning signs, the study paves the way for new methods to detect the effects of repetitive head injuries and potentially develop interventions that may prevent the neurodegeneration associated with CTE.
This important research was supported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and the NIA through various grants (F31NS132407, U19AG068753, RF1AG057902, R01AG062348, R01AG090553, U54NS115266, and P30AG072978). The NINDS is recognized as the leading funder of research on the brain and nervous system, with a mission to enhance understanding and reduce the burden of neurological diseases.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the nation’s medical research agency, comprising 27 institutes and centers, and is a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is dedicated to conducting and supporting a wide range of medical research aimed at understanding the causes, treatments, and potential cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.
