Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32281676›Full record

ArticleAnnals of neurology2020

Premortem Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Diagnoses in Professional Football.

Rachel Grashow, Marc G Weisskopf, Aaron Baggish, Frank E Speizer, Alicia J Whittington, Lee Nadler, Ann Connor, Robyn Keske, Herman Taylor, Ross Zafonte and 1 more

Open access · hybridAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Annals of neurology, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 23 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
23citing papers in PubMed
3.3field-weighted citation impact, top 7% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

23 citing papers in PubMed, 38 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Comparing perceptions of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) across health care disciplines.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitation · 2026
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  16. White matter hyperintensities in former American football players.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2023
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Rachel GrashowFootball Players Health Study at Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
Marc G WeisskopfFootball Players Health Study at Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.ORCID 0000-0001-6961-0243
Aaron BaggishFootball Players Health Study at Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
Frank E SpeizerFootball Players Health Study at Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
Alicia J WhittingtonFootball Players Health Study at Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
Lee NadlerFootball Players Health Study at Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
Ann ConnorFootball Players Health Study at Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
Robyn KeskeFootball Players Health Study at Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
Herman TaylorFootball Players Health Study at Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
Ross ZafonteFootball Players Health Study at Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.ORCID 0000-0002-1050-796X
Alvaro Pascual-LeoneFootball Players Health Study at Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.ORCID 0000-0001-8975-0382
Harvard University · USBrigham and Women's Hospital · US

Funding

HARVARD CLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE CENTER (UL1)UL1RR025758 · NCRR · HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL · PI NADLER, LEE MARSHALL · 2008 to 2011
$91.4M
NCRR NIH HHS UL1 RR025758
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveAmerican-style football (ASF) has gained attention because of possible links between repetitive head injury and neurodegenerative diseases. Although postmortem pathologic changes consistent with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) have been reported in ASF players, there are currently no established premortem diagnostic criteria for CTE. Nevertheless, presented with symptoms of cognitive impairment, clinicians treating former players may be inclined to suggest CTE without a thorough exploration of comorbid factors that demonstrate similar clinical phenotypes to putative CTE.

methodsA survey of 3,913 former ASF players aged 24 to 89 was conducted for those who responded by March 2019.

resultsDespite being a postmortem diagnosis, 108 players (2.8%) self-reported clinician-diagnosed CTE. The percentage of players under age 60 years reporting a CTE diagnosis was 2.3% versus 3.7% in participants age 60 or older. Comorbidities in participants self-reporting CTE were significantly more common, including sleep apnea, hypercholesterolemia, obesity, indicators of past or current depression, hypertension, prescription pain medication use, heart conditions, and low testosterone when compared to non-CTE respondents. Patterns of reporting for obesity, hypertension, heart conditions, or hypercholesterolemia differed between older and younger participants. Cognitive impairment symptoms were significantly higher in participants self-reporting CTE.

interpretationSome former professional football players have been clinically diagnosed with CTE, a postmortem condition. Comorbidities that can affect cognition were associated with CTE diagnoses in both older and younger players. Although underlying neuropathology cannot be ruled out, treatable conditions should be explored in former athletes demonstrating CTE-linked clinical phenotypes or symptoms as a means of improving cognitive health in these patients. ANN NEUROL 2020 ANN NEUROL 2020;88:106-112.

Indexed as

AthletesAdultAgedAged, 80 and overChronic Traumatic EncephalopathyCognitive DysfunctionFootballHumansMiddle AgedQuality of LifeYoung Adult

Identifiers

PMID32281676
PMCPMC7383807
OpenAlexW3015487737

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.