Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34668650›Full record

ArticleAlzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association2022

Concussion and long-term cognitive function among rugby players-The BRAIN Study.

Valentina Gallo, Damien M McElvenny, Giulia Seghezzo, Simon Kemp, Elizabeth Williamson, Kirsty Lu, Saba Mian, Laura James, Catherine Hobbs, Donna Davoren and 9 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
14citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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

14 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Better face-name recall is associated with better face recognition ability.Quarterly journal of experimental psychology (2006) · 2025
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  8. Comparison of Various Metrics of Repetitive Head Impact Exposure And Their Associations With Neurocognition in Collegiate-Aged Athletes.Archives of clinical neuropsychology : the official journal of the National Academy of Neuropsychologists · 2023
    Article
  9. Article
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  12. Article
  13. Neurodegenerative disease risk among former international rugby union players.Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry · 2022
    Article
  14. Concussion and long-term cognitive function among rugby players-The BRAIN Study.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2022
    Article
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

19 authors.

Valentina GalloCentre for Primary Care and Public Health, Queen Mary, University of London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-1268-8629
Damien M McElvennyDepartment of Medical Statistics, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
Giulia SeghezzoCentre for Primary Care and Public Health, Queen Mary, University of London, London, UK.
Simon KempDepartment of Medical Statistics, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
Elizabeth WilliamsonDepartment of Medical Statistics, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
Kirsty LuDementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK.
Saba MianDepartment of Medical Statistics, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
Laura JamesCentre for Primary Care and Public Health, Queen Mary, University of London, London, UK.
Catherine HobbsDepartment of Medical Statistics, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
Donna DavorenDepartment of Medical Statistics, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
Nigel ArdenCentre for Sport, Exercise & Osteoarthritis Research Versus Arthritis, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Madeline DaviesDepartment of Health for Keith Stokes and Madeleine Davies, Department of Psychology for Catherine Hobbs, University of Bath, Bath, UK.
Andrea MalaspinaBlizard Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
Michael LoosemoreInstitute of Sport Exercise and Health, University College London, London, UK.
Keith StokesRugby Football Union, London, UK.
Matthew CrossDepartment of Health for Keith Stokes and Madeleine Davies, Department of Psychology for Catherine Hobbs, University of Bath, Bath, UK.
Sebastian CrutchDementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK.
Henrik ZetterbergUK Dementia Research Institute, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK.
Neil PearceDepartment of Medical Statistics, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveThe BRAIN Study was established to assess the associations between self-reported concussions and cognitive function among retired rugby players.

methodsFormer elite-level male rugby union players (50+ years) in England were recruited. Exposure to rugby-related concussion was collected using the BRAIN-Q tool. The primary outcome measure was the Preclinical Alzheimer Cognitive Composite (PACC). Linear regressions were conducted for the association between concussion and PACC score, adjusting for confounders.

resultsA total of 146 participants were recruited. The mean (standard deviation) length of playing career was 15.8 (5.4) years. A total of 79.5% reported rugby-related concussion(s). No association was found between concussion and PACC (β -0.03 [95% confidence interval (CI): -1.31, 0.26]). However, participants aged 80+ years reporting 3+ concussions had worse cognitive function than those without concussion (β -1.04 [95% CI: -1.62, -0.47]).

conclusionsOverall there was no association between concussion and cognitive function; however, a significant interaction with age revealed an association in older participants.

Indexed as

Athletic InjuriesBrain ConcussionFootballAgedCognitionHumansMaleRugbycognitive functionoccupational epidemiologyrugbysports-related concussion

Identifiers

PMID34668650
PMCPMC9298292

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.