A study led by Trinity College Dublin (TCD) that aims to establish how sports-related traumatic brain injuries affect brain health in mid-life before dementia shows up has begun.
Scientists including Lorina Naci, professor at the Dublin university’s school of psychology and the Global Brain Health Institute at TCD – the joint lead investigator of the study – have known from previous research that a sport-related traumatic brain injury (TBI) increases dementia risk in later life by between 3 and 15 per cent.
However, what isn’t known is exactly what happens to the brain after a player suffers such an injury, but before their brain shows any signs of damage.
“We don’t fully understand how sport-related TBI impacts cognition and brain health in mid-life, prior to the development of dementia symptoms,” said Prof Naci.
The Resolve study, which is entitled “Dementia risk in former professional athletes and protective’ factors in mid-life”, will be the first large-scale study of its kind in Ireland, and one of the biggest longitudinal studies conducted anywhere into the brain health of retired contact-sports athletes in mid-life.
The study is set to recruit 360 high-performance athletes to participate in the study. These players will all have played at a high level in rugby, soccer or Gaelic games but are now retired and aged between 40 and 59.
Scientists will run cognitive, physical and lifestyle assessments of the former athletes at an initial visit, and another one again after two years. The results will be compared to the same measurements of 700 people who had no TBI.
The study’s primary goal is to discover who is at greatest risk from dementia following a sports-related TBI and how to intervene early to reduce that risk.
Rugby Players Ireland (RPI) – a body which aims to equip its members with the skills they need to succeed as athletes and in society, said they were interested in the TBI in sports research and will take part in the project.
“We haven’t had any players or their families come forward to us specifically in relation to a dementia diagnosis following a rugby career,” said Richard McElwee, director of communications and legal affairs at RPI.
The RPI, said McElwee, were working with former players to allay their concerns about TBIs in sports and have established early intervention supports, including a brain health service and mental wellbeing service.
“Both services provide confidential pathways for players to access specialist assessment, whether they are experiencing symptoms or simply seeking peace of mind,” said McElwee.
The Football Association of Ireland, Professional Footballers Association of Ireland, Ladies Gaelic Football Association and the Gaelic Athletic Association have also put forward participants for Resolve.
Former Donegal Gaelic football player Luke Keaney is taking part.
“As a retired athlete, I hope my experiences will contribute to the learnings of the programme and lead to positive change,” he said.
