Effect of Contact Sports on the Adolescent Brain: A Pilot Study of a Single Football Season Using MR Elastography and Diffusion Tensor Imaging

Motivation: Subconcussive, repetitive head impacts (RHI) are of concern in contact-sports athletes, particularly in adolescence. The extent to which participation in contact sports involving RHI exposure affects the brain remains unclear. Goal(s): To explore whether contact-sports exposure results in brain mechanical/microstructural changes in adolescence over a football season. Approach: Seven football players (ages 12-17) underwent diffusion tensor imaging and MR elastography before and after a football season. Brain changes were evaluated by a voxel-wise analysis. Results: Post-season showed globally increased stiffness, especially in the left frontal white matter, with no significant changes in strain distribution, fractional anisotropy, or mean diffusivity. Impact: We observed increased brain stiffness without significant microstructural changes after a football season. These findings motivate further longitudinal studies to understand the dynamic response of adolescent brains in contact sports and emphasize the need for research into long-term effects.