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Biomedical Imaging and Instrumentation

Biomedical Imaging and Instrumentation - Poster Session B

Poster G5 - Evaluating Brain Connectivity in High-Contact and Low-Contact Sport Athletes

Thursday, October 24, 2024

2:45 PM - 3:45 PM EST

Location: Exhibit Hall E, F & G

Presenting Author(s)

Victoria Ortega (she/her/hers)

Undergraduate Researcher
University of Miami
Miami, Florida, United States

Co-Author(s)

MK

Mahta Karimpoor

Post Doctorate Scholar
Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, USA, United States
Yixin Wang, PhD Student

Ph.D. Student
Stanford University Department of Bioengineering, United States
HT

Hossein Taghavi

Life Science Research Professional
Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, USA, United States
MG

Marios Georgiadis

Instructor
Stanford University School of Medicine, United States

Primary Investigator(s)

MZ

Michael Zeineh

Associate Professor of Radiology
Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, USA, United States

Introduction: Repetitive head trauma is prevalent in high-contact sports, such as football, and is associated with an increased risk of cognitive decline and developing neurodegenerative diseases. Despite these recognized risks, understanding the long-term effects of repetitive head injuries remains limited, posing a challenge for accurate diagnosis and treatment. Resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) is particularly effective in assessing neurological impairments and functional changes due to its sensitivity to spontaneous brain activity and connectivity patterns. The present study aimed to investigate whether exposure to high-contact sports causes changes in resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) compared to low-contact sports athletes.

Materials and

Methods: The subject population consisted of collegiate athletes from two PAC-12 institutions, divided into high-contact (n=107) and low-contact (n=48) groups. Imaging acquisition at Institution #1 was performed using a 3T GE-MR750 scanner, employing T1-weighted multi-echo MPRAGE anatomical imaging and whole-brain resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) sequences. Institution #2 used a 3T Siemens Magnetom Prisma scanner with comparable sequences. The study design included the development and application of a robust pipeline to measure brain connectivity over time based on the evaluation of rs-fMRI data. For structural images, the T1 anatomical images have been preprocessed using FreeSurfer, an open-source software for processing and analyzing human brain MRI images. The fMRI data is first converted to BIDS format. Then, it will be preprocessed using fMRIPrep, a tool that offers a comprehensive and standardized pipeline for fMRI data, including head motion correction, normalization, and denoising, with appropriate quality control measures. This will facilitate statistical comparisons of high versus low contact sports.

Results, Conclusions, and Discussions: The present study leverages resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) as a key modality to explore the neural impacts of repetitive head injuries. Detecting changes in resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) in high-contact athletes provides critical insights into the progression of head traumas. Understanding these connectivity changes is essential for developing effective diagnostic and preventative strategies, enhancing treatment protocols, and ultimately promoting long-term neurological health in athletic populations.

Acknowledgements (Optional):