TY - JOUR
T1 - Imaging of neuroinflammation due to repetitive head injury in currently active kickboxers
AU - Stormezand, Gilles N
AU - Doorduin, Janine
AU - Rakers, Sandra E
AU - Spikman, Jacoba M
AU - van der Naalt, Joukje
AU - Vállez García, David
AU - van der Hoorn, Anouk
AU - van der Weijden, Chris W J
AU - Kremer, Berry P H
AU - Renken, Remco J
AU - Dierckx, Rudi A J O
N1 - Funding Information: We would like to thank all participants who volunteered to take part of this study, particularly the rank A kickboxers from various gyms in the Netherlands. Publisher Copyright: © 2022, The Author(s).
PY - 2022/7
Y1 - 2022/7
N2 - PURPOSE: Chronic traumatic encephalopathy refers to a neurodegenerative disease resulting from repetitive head injury of participants in contact sports. Similar to other neurodegenerative diseases, neuroinflammation is thought to play a role in the onset and progression of the disease. Limited knowledge is available regarding the neuroinflammatory consequences of repetitive head injury in currently active contact sports athletes. PET imaging of the 18-kDa translocator protein (TSPO) allows quantification of microglial activation in vivo, a marker of neuroinflammation.METHODS: Eleven rank A kickboxers and 11 age-matched controls underwent TSPO PET using [11C]-PK11195, anatomical MRI, diffusion tensor imaging, and neuropsychological testing. Relevant imaging parameters were derived and correlated with the outcomes of the neuropsychological testing.RESULTS: On a group level, no statistically significant differences were detected in non-displaceable binding potential (BPND) using PET. Individually, 3 kickboxers showed increased BPNDs in widespread regions of the brain without a correlation with other modalities. Increased FA was observed in the superior corona radiata bilaterally. DTI parameters in other regions did not differ between groups.CONCLUSION: Despite negative results on a group level, individual results suggest that neuroinflammation may be present as a consequence of repetitive head injury in active kickboxers. Future studies using a longitudinal design may determine whether the observed TSPO upregulation is related to the future development of neuropsychiatric symptoms.
AB - PURPOSE: Chronic traumatic encephalopathy refers to a neurodegenerative disease resulting from repetitive head injury of participants in contact sports. Similar to other neurodegenerative diseases, neuroinflammation is thought to play a role in the onset and progression of the disease. Limited knowledge is available regarding the neuroinflammatory consequences of repetitive head injury in currently active contact sports athletes. PET imaging of the 18-kDa translocator protein (TSPO) allows quantification of microglial activation in vivo, a marker of neuroinflammation.METHODS: Eleven rank A kickboxers and 11 age-matched controls underwent TSPO PET using [11C]-PK11195, anatomical MRI, diffusion tensor imaging, and neuropsychological testing. Relevant imaging parameters were derived and correlated with the outcomes of the neuropsychological testing.RESULTS: On a group level, no statistically significant differences were detected in non-displaceable binding potential (BPND) using PET. Individually, 3 kickboxers showed increased BPNDs in widespread regions of the brain without a correlation with other modalities. Increased FA was observed in the superior corona radiata bilaterally. DTI parameters in other regions did not differ between groups.CONCLUSION: Despite negative results on a group level, individual results suggest that neuroinflammation may be present as a consequence of repetitive head injury in active kickboxers. Future studies using a longitudinal design may determine whether the observed TSPO upregulation is related to the future development of neuropsychiatric symptoms.
KW - Kickboxers
KW - Neuroinflammation
KW - Repetitive head injury
KW - TSPO PET
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85124715926&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-022-05715-x
DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-022-05715-x
M3 - Article
C2 - 35165788
SN - 1619-7070
VL - 49
SP - 3162
EP - 3172
JO - European journal of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging
JF - European journal of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging
IS - 9
ER -