Cleveland Clinic Enrolling Fighters for MRI Brain Study

(Army.mil)

The Cleveland Clinic has begun a study with professional fighters to help determine if magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain can detect changes in brain health that correlate with impaired thinking and functioning. The clinic’s Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas is working with the Nevada Athletic Commission and fight promoters to publicize the research to the sport and enroll participants.

The clinic says current studies suggest from 20 to 50 percent of professional fighters may develop neurological and psychiatric  conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and depression, often at a young age. There is no way at present to determine if a fighter has sustained, cumulative brain damage.

Researchers have already enrolled about 20 fighters, but are aiming for 625 participants by the end of the voluntary study. Fighters who participate will receive free, ongoing assessment of their brain health and brain function, including MRI scans.  Individual tests will be repeated once a year for four years so that any changes to the participants’ brains can be noted and monitored.

The study will measure changes in brain volume, scarring, and blood flow via MRI scans. The first visit will last approximately two hours, where participants will answer basic questions about their back­ground, personal and family medical history, and sports experience, and then undergo a noninvasive and painless MRI scan of the brain, and a neu­rological examination; participate in brief com­puter and verbal tests to measure memory and other aspects of mental functioning.

Changes noted on the participant’s MRI will be correlated with their performance on cognitive assessments and neurological exams. For fighters who demonstrate a correlation between MRI findings and cognitive decline, researchers hope to determine whether there is any relationship to the number of blows, number of rounds fought, knockouts, dehydration or other factors.

Researchers hope the information uncovered by this research will result in better ways to prevent permanent brain injury in fighters and others who may suffer from brain trauma. This information could also be used in the future to help develop better protective equipment across a number of sports.

Read more:

• Researchers Testing Red Wine Compound to Treat Concussions
• Ringside Test Gives Quick Concussion Diagnosis

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