Purpose
1. To evaluate brain alterations and clinical consequences of repetitive head impacts in football
2. To develop diagnostic biomarkers
3. To evaluate methods for quantifying head impacts
4. To characterize head‑impact exposure in youth football
Project description
REPIMPACT is a prospective cohort study that evaluates the effects of repetitive head impacts in youth football. Specifically, a group of male youth football players (14 to 16 yrs) are compared to a group of non-contact sport athletes (e.g. swimmers, cyclists etc.).
The participants are followed for a total of 12 months, completing a testing battery before and after a competitive season (including MRI and neuropsychological tests). This allows for a detailed evaluation of the potential effects of repetitive head impacts (i.e. heading) on brain health and development.
The project is part of a multisite study, collecting data in Norway, Belgium and Germany, and will finish in 2020.
REPIMPACT is the foundation for all of Stian’s projects.
Results
Study 1: Laboratory and on-field validation of in-ear accelerometers for quantifying head impact exposure in soccer
Study 2: Repetitive subconcussive head impacts – Brain alterations and clinical consequences (REPIMPACT)
Study 3: Tau protein and neurofilament light chain in serum as novel biomarkers for mild traumatic brain injury and repetitive subconcussive head impacts in soccer
Study 4: Dysregulated miRNAs in serum: Their potential as novel biomarkers for mild traumatic brain injury and repetitive subconcussive head impacts in soccer
