ArticleExperimental physiology2023
Lower systemic nitric oxide bioactivity, cerebral hypoperfusion and accelerated cognitive decline in formerly concussed retired rugby union players.
Article in Experimental physiology, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 6 citations in OpenAlex.
- Artificial intelligence in contact sports research: Promise and peril for predicting and preventing brain injury.Experimental physiology · 2026Article
- Beyond the Hit: Muscle and Vascular Tissue Responses to Contact Exposure in Collision Sports-A Narrative Review.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2025Review
- Radiological Correlates of Head Injuries in School-Level Rugby Union: A 10-Year Retrospective Cross-Sectional Analysis.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2025Article
- Short- and long-term changes in neurological, behavioural, and blood biomarkers following repeated mild traumatic brain injury in rats-potential biological sex-dependent effects.Frontiers in molecular neuroscience · 2025Article
- Unlocking the complications of chronic concussion in rugby players: A traumatic tale of cerebral injury.Experimental physiology · 2023Article
- Lower systemic nitric oxide bioactivity, cerebral hypoperfusion and accelerated cognitive decline in formerly concussed retired rugby union players.Experimental physiology · 2023Article
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Authors and funding
15 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
NEW
findingsWhat is the central question of this study? What are the molecular, cerebrovascular and cognitive biomarkers of retired rugby union players with concussion history? What is the main finding and its importance? Retired rugby players compared with matched controls exhibited lower systemic nitric oxide bioavailability accompanied by lower middle cerebral artery velocity and mild cognitive impairment. Retired rugby players are more susceptible to accelerated cognitive decline. ABSTRACT: Following retirement from sport, the chronic consequences of prior-recurrent contact are evident and retired rugby union players may be especially prone to accelerated cognitive decline. The present study sought to integrate molecular, cerebrovascular and cognitive biomarkers in retired rugby players with concussion history. Twenty retired rugby players aged 64 ± 5 years with three (interquartile range (IQR), 3) concussions incurred over 22 (IQR, 6) years were compared to 21 sex-, age-, cardiorespiratory fitness- and education-matched controls with no prior concussion history. Concussion symptoms and severity were assessed using the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool. Plasma/serum nitric oxide (NO) metabolites (reductive ozone-based chemiluminescence), neuron specific enolase, glial fibrillary acidic protein and neurofilament light-chain (ELISA and single molecule array) were assessed. Middle cerebral artery blood velocity (MCAv, doppler ultrasound) and reactivity to hyper/hypocapnia (
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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.