Head Impacts & Neuron Loss in Young Athletes
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* Date of Study Release: Wednesday, September 17, 2025
* Funding Source: National Institutes of Health (NIH)
* Focus of study: Early brain changes caused by repeated head impacts from contact sports (primarily american football).
* Key Finding: Brain changes occur years before the advancement of Chronic traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), and can be detected even without the presence of tau buildup (the current CTE marker).
* Specific Brain Changes Observed:
* Neuron Loss: 56% loss of a specific type of neuron in a brain area prone to impact and tau accumulation, even in athletes without tau buildup. This loss correlated with years of head impacts.
* Microglia Activation: Increased activation of the brain’s immune cells (microglia) with increased years of playing contact sports.
* Blood Vessel Changes: Altered gene patterns in blood vessels (signaling immune activity and low oxygen), and thickening/growth of small blood vessels.
* New Communication Pathway: Identification of a communication pathway between microglia and blood vessel cells.
* Study Participants: Postmortem brain tissue from athletes under age 51 (mostly American football players).
* Tools Used: Cutting-edge tools to track gene activity and images in individual cells, many pioneered by the NIH’s BRAIN Initiative.
* Importance: This study shifts focus to early cellular signatures of damage in younger athletes, potentially leading to earlier diagnosis and treatment of CTE and reducing future dementia risk.
* Quotes:
* Walter Koroshetz (NINDS Director): Early brain changes “might help diagnose and treat CTE earlier than is currently possible now.”
* Richard Hodes (NIA Director): “What’s striking is the dramatic cellular changes…in young athletes who had no detectable CTE.” Understanding these changes ”may help us protect young athletes today as well as reduce risks for dementia in the future.”