Traumatic brain injury and MND

Summary

Several research studies from recent years have reported an increased risk of neurodegenerative diseases, including MND, in people who have played elite football or rugby, although it is not known what causes this increased risk. One possibility is the traumatic brain injury (TBI) from repetitive head impacts experienced during certain elite-level sports. In this project, Professor Stewart and his team will interrogate 4 million existing health records to understand if there is a relationship between the development of MND and previous TBI.

Study outcomes 

An association between TBI and subsequent risk of ALS was identified. However, this association was confined to the 2 years immediately following injury. As such, the association between TBI and higher ALS risk may indicate reverse causality, with TBI in some individuals perhaps reflecting a consequence of early, subclinical ALS. The full paper is available to read here. 

*This project was co-funded by MND Scotland and MND Association.