Brain glucose metabolism and gray matter volume in retired professional soccer players : a cross-sectional [ 18 F]FDG-PET/MRI study
Aranha, Mateus (Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau)
Coutinho, Artur Martins (Universidade de São Paulo)
Carneiro, Camila de Godoi (Universidade de São Paulo)
Pastorello, Bruno Fraccini (Universidade de São Paulo)
Studart-Neto, Adalberto (Universidade de São Paulo)
Guariglia, Carla Cristina (Universidade de São Paulo)
Tsunemi, Miriam Harumi (Universidade Estadual Paulista)
Moreira, Everton Luis Santos (Universidade de São Paulo)
Ianof, Jéssica Natuline (Universidade de São Paulo)
Anghinah, Renato (Universidade de São Paulo)
Nitrini, Ricardo (Universidade de São Paulo)
Cerri, Giovanni Guido (Universidade de São Paulo)
Fortea, Juan (Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau)
Buchpiguel, Carlos Alberto (Universidade de São Paulo)
Leite, Claudia Costa (Universidade de São Paulo)
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Date:	2023
Abstract:	Professional soccer athletes are exposed to repetitive head impacts and are at risk of developing chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Objective To evaluate regional brain glucose metabolism (rBGM) and gray matter (GM) volume in retired soccer players (RSPs). Male RSPs and age and sex-matched controls prospectively enrolled between 2017 and 2019 underwent neurological and neuropsychological evaluations, brain MRI and [18F]FDG-PET in a 3. 0-Tesla PET/MRI scanner. Visual analysis was performed by a blinded neuroradiologist and a blinded nuclear physician. Regional brain glucose metabolism and GM volume were assessed using SPM8 software. Groups were compared using appropriate statistical tests available at SPM8 and R. Nineteen RSPs (median [IQR]: 62 [50-64. 5] years old) and 20 controls (60 [48-73] years old) were included. Retired soccer players performed worse on mini-mental state examination, digit span, clock drawing, phonemic and semantic verbal fluency tests, and had reduced rBGM in the left temporal pole (pFDR = 0. 008) and the anterior left middle temporal gyrus (pFDR = 0. 043). Semantic verbal fluency correlated with rBGM in the right hippocampus, left temporal pole, and posterior left middle temporal gyrus (p ≤ 0. 042). Gray matter volume reduction was observed in similar anatomic regions but was less extensive and did not survive correction for multiple comparisons (pFDR ≥ 0. 085). Individual [18F]FDG-PET visual analysis revealed seven RSPs with overt hypometabolism in the medial and lateral temporal lobes, frontal lobes, and temporoparietal regions. Retired soccer players had a higher prevalence of septum pellucidum abnormalities on MRI. Retired soccer players had reduced rBGM and GM volume in the temporal lobes and septum pellucidum abnormalities, findings possibly related to repetitive head impacts.
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Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Soccer ; Brain Injuries, Traumatic ; Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Futebol ; Lesões Encefálicas Traumáticas ; Encefalopatia Traumática Crônica ; Tomografia Por Emissão De Pósitrons ; Imageamento Por Ressonância Magnética
Published in:	Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria, Vol. 81 (may 2023) , p. 433-443, ISSN 1678-4227

DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1768666
PMID: 37257463

11 p, 3.0 MB

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Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Health sciences and biosciences > Institut de Recerca Sant Pau
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles