Altered brain functional connectivity in the frontoparietal network following an ice hockey season
Abstract
Sustaining sports‐related head impacts has been reported to result in neurological changes that potentially lead to later‐life neurological disease. Advanced neuroimaging techniques have been used to detect subtle neurological effects resulting from head impacts, even after a single competitive season. The current study used resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging to assess changes in functional connectivity of the frontoparietal network, a brain network responsible for executive functioning, in collegiate club ice hockey players over one season. Each player was scanned before and after the season and wore accelerometers to measure head impacts at practices and home games throughout the season. We examined pre‐ to post‐season differences in connectivity within the frontoparietal and default mode networks, as well as the relationship between the total number of head impacts sustained and changes in connectivity. We found a significant interaction between network region of interest and time point (p = .016), in which connectivity between the left and right posterior parietal cortex seed regions increased over the season (p p = .042). Overall, functional connectivity increased in ice hockey athletes over a season between regions involved in executive functioning, and sensory integration, in particular. Furthermore, those who sustained more impacts had the greatest changes in connectivity. Consistent with prior findings in resting‐state sports‐related head impact literature, these findings have been suggested to represent brain injury.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- May 08, 2022
- Source ID
- 10.1080/17461391.2022.2069512
Entities
People
- Curtis L Johnson
- Daniel R. Smith
- Katherine M. Breedlove
- Melissa DiFabio
- Ryan T Pohlig
- Thomas A. Buckley
Organizations
- Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Harvard Medical School
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
- Office of Naval Research
- University of Delaware