About The Study: In this imaging study that included 54 athletes, higher levels of 18 kDa translocator protein (TSPO) that mark brain injury and repair were found in former National Football League (NFL) players compared with former non-collision sport athletes. The NFL players also had lower performance in learning and memory. These findings suggest that further tracking of TSPO levels in relation to neuropsychological performance over time is needed to understand whether these signs persist, progress, and/or warrant neuroimmune-modulating interventions.
Authors: Jennifer M. Coughlin, M.D., of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, is the corresponding author.
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(doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.40580)
