A recent study of the brains of 84 deceased women who experienced intimate partner violence found that the brains consistently showed signs of traumatic brain injury but that none met the criteria for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

A study in Neurology Advisor found that for active and retired professional fighters exposed to repetitive head impacts, blood plasma measurements of the biomarkers GFAP and NfL “may help identify those who are at risk for progressive regional brain atrophy and cognitive decline.”

A recent study presented at the Radiological Society of North America found a significant decline in the microscopic structural integrity of brain tissue and a decline in verbal learning performance for young adult amateur soccer players who performed a high number of headers over two years.

A cross-sectional study published in JAMA Network Open found that participation in organized American football was associated with higher rates of reported parkinsonism or Parkinson’s disease diagnosis.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently acknowledged that there is a causal link between repeated blows to the head and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

In an interview, RJ discusses his potential CTE and his positive experience as a participant in a University of Utah photobiomodulation (light therapy) study. RJ played high school and college football, experiencing repetitive head impacts and multiple concussions.

A study found that former college football players are at “increased risk for degenerative brain diseases,” and reported cognitive impairment diagnoses, recurrent headaches, and cardiovascular disease at higher rates than an age-matched control group.

According to a study published in Neurology, 13.5% of mTBI patients had “poor cognitive outcomes” (vs. 4.5 % in a control group) one year after a mild traumatic brain injury (concussion).

A study investigated the prevalence of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and dementia in former NFL players ages 50+. The authors found significant disparities in the rate of self-reported MCI and dementia diagnoses between the study participants (who had spent at least one year in the NFL) and national incidence estimates. Alarmingly, almost 23% of participants aged 50-60 reported MCI.

A study by Jackie L. Gottshall et al. found that poor sleep quality may be an "important driver of the relationships" between common post-mTBI neuropsychiatric disorders—major depressive disorder (MDD), post-concussive symptoms (PCS), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)—and biomarkers of neurodegeneration.

A study found that veterans with mTBI history performed significantly worse on 4 of 9 cognitive tests than either the age-matched non mTBI veterans or the healthy controls. Concerningly, the test results for veterans with mTBI showed they were cognitively “at least three decades older.” They performed most closely to the cohort of early-stage Parkinson’s Disease patients.

Researchers are finalizing their recent pilot study on photobiomodulation conducted by The University of Utah. In this video produced by the research team, several of the men who participated in the study talk about their deteriorating health due to repetitive head hits and concussions, their concerns about CTE, and how light therapy during the clinical trial substantially improved their health.

An abstract presented at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) 2021 Annual Meeting demonstrated that “multiple concussions [three to five] seem to disrupt the brain’s default mode network (DMN), which could increase the risk of long-term cognitive disruption,” according to an article in Medscape.

A large-scale research project to study biomarkers that may predict delayed recovery in children and adolescents aged 11-18 was awarded $10 million by the National Institutes of Health. According to a UCLA press release, the research project (entitled CARE4Kids) will observe over thirteen hundred children and teens nationwide.

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) can only be diagnosed after death via autopsy. However, according to new research published in Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy, MRIs may soon detect CTE in people still alive, allowing doctors to make an earlier diagnosis.

In a breakthrough study led by Georg Meisl, scientists at the University of Cambridge found that targeting the local replication of harmful tau protein clusters in the brain could be a key component in finding more effective treatment methods for Alzheimer’s.

According to The Guardian, the Rugby Football League (RFL) has approved the use of mouthguards that could detect whether a player is at risk for a concussion. The mouthguards were trialed by the Leeds Rhinos, an English Rugby team, and will be deployed next season. The guards can measure the force of collisions experienced by players.