Brain health concerns in former rugby players: clinical and cognitive phenotypes - Takeaways - MDSpire

Brain health concerns in former rugby players: clinical and cognitive phenotypes

  • By

  • Thomas D Parker

  • Jessica A Hain

  • Erin J Rooney

  • Karl A Zimmerman

  • Ying Lee

  • Martina Del Giovane

  • Neil S N Graham

  • Maneesh Patel

  • Adam Hampshire

  • Mathew G Wilson

  • Daniel Friedland

  • David J Sharp

  • Richard J Sylvester

  • July 3, 2025

  • 0 min

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  • 1

    Former elite rugby players exhibit significant symptom burden related to brain health, particularly those with higher self-reported concussion histories.

  • 2

    Despite frequent subjective memory complaints, cognitive testing showed no significant differences between former players and healthy controls.

  • 3

    Twenty-four former players met criteria for traumatic encephalopathy syndrome, with varying degrees of cognitive impairment and neurobehavioral dysregulation.

  • 4

    The presence of cavum septum pellucidum was more common in players with higher concussion reports compared to controls.

  • 5

    Overall, objective cognitive impairments and dementia were relatively uncommon among former elite rugby players in mid-life.

Original Source(s)

Brain health concerns in former rugby players: clinical and cognitive phenotypes

  • by Thomas D Parker, Jessica A Hain, Erin J Rooney, Karl A Zimmerman, Ying Lee, Martina Del Giovane, Neil S N Graham, Maneesh Patel, Adam Hampshire, Mathew G Wilson, Daniel Friedland, David J Sharp, Richard J Sylvester

  • July 3, 2025

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