Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39231581›Full record

ArticleJournal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry2025

Sports-related concussion not associated with long-term cognitive or behavioural deficits: the PROTECT-TBI study.

Matthew Joseph Lennon, Grant Rigney, Byron Creese, Dag Aarsland, Adam Hampshire, Clive Ballard, Anne Corbett, Vanessa Raymont

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Review
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

8 authors.

Matthew Joseph LennonFaculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-7097-3666
Grant RigneyHarvard Medical School, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
Byron CreeseDivision of Psychology, Department of Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, Greater London, UK.
Dag AarslandDepartment of Old age Psychiatry, IoPPN, King's College London, London, UK.
Adam HampshireDepartment of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Clive BallardDepartment of Health and Community Sciences, College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon, UK.
Anne CorbettDepartment of Health and Community Sciences, College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon, UK.
Vanessa RaymontDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK Vanessa.raymont@psych.ox.ac.uk.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe cognitive effects of sports-related concussion (SRC) have been the subject of vigorous debate but there has been little research into long-term outcomes in non-athlete populations.

methodsThis cohort study of UK community-dwelling adults (aged 50-90 years) was conducted between November 2015 and November 2020, with up to 4 years annual follow-up (n=15 214). Lifetime history of concussions was collected at baseline using the Brain Injury Screening Questionnaire. The first analysis grouped participants by type of concussion (no concussion, only SRC, only non-SRC (nSRC), mixed concussions (both SRC and nSRC)) and the second grouped the participants by number (0, 1, 2 or 3+ SRC or nSRC). Mixed models were used to assess the effect of concussion on outcomes including four cognitive domains and one behavioural measure (Mild Behavioural Impairment-C).

resultsAnalysis of the included participants (24% male, mean age=64) at baseline found that the SRC group had significantly better working memory (B=0.113, 95% CI 0.038, 0.188) and verbal reasoning (B=0.199, 95% CI 0.092, 0.306) compared with those without concussion. Those who had suffered one SRC had significantly better verbal reasoning (B=0.111, 95% CI 0.031, 0.19) and attention (B=0.115, 95% CI 0.028, 0.203) compared with those with no SRC at baseline. Those with 3+ nSRCs had significantly worse processing speed (B=-0.082, 95% CI -0.144 to -0.019) and attention (B=-0.156, 95% CI -0.248 to -0.063). Those with 3+ nSRCs had a significantly worse trajectory of verbal reasoning with increasing age (B=-0.088, 95% CI -0.149 to -0.026).

conclusionsCompared with those reporting no previous concussions, those with SRC had no cognitive or behavioural deficits and seemed to perform better in some tasks. As indicated by previous studies, sports participation may confer long-term cognitive benefits.

Indexed as

Athletic InjuriesBrain ConcussionCognitive DysfunctionAgedAged, 80 and overCohort StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedNeuropsychological TestsUnited KingdomCOGNITIONCONCUSSIONHEAD INJURYHEALTH ECONOMICSNEUROPSYCHIATRY

Identifiers

PMID39231581
PMCPMC12015030

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

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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.