Publications by authors named "Cantu R"

Background: Exertional heat stroke (EHS) is a leading cause of secondary school sport-related death; however, a longitudinal analysis on observed trends is lacking. Our purpose was to describe EHS deaths in United States secondary school athletes since the 1982/1983 academic year.

Hypothesis: EHS deaths will be primarily represented by football athletes and have a stable or increasing trend across a decade-by-decade analysis.

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Former American football players are at risk for developing traumatic encephalopathy syndrome (TES), the clinical disorder associated with neuropathologically diagnosed chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). The objective of this study was to determine whether hyposmia is present in traumatic encephalopathy syndrome. The study included 119 former professional American football players, 60 former college football players, and 58 same-age asymptomatic unexposed men from the DIAGNOSE CTE Research Project.

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Importance: Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative tauopathy associated with repetitive head impacts (RHIs). Prior research suggests a dose-response association between American football play duration and CTE risk and severity, but this association has not been studied for ice hockey.

Objective: To investigate associations of duration of ice hockey play with CTE diagnosis and severity, functional status, and dementia.

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Article Synopsis
  • Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative disease linked to frequent head injuries, often seen in athletes and military personnel, with a focus on its relationship with aggression and family mental health history.
  • The study analyzed data from deceased male brain donors with CTE, aiming to determine if the presence of CTE affects the relationship between first-degree family history of mental illness (1°FHMI) and aggression, using structured assessments and various demographic controls.
  • Results indicated that 1°FHMI was significantly correlated with aggression scores in individuals with CTE, suggesting that CTE pathology may influence aggression differently than previously understood, while no such association was found in those without CTE.
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: Diagnosing concussions is problematic, in part due to the invisible nature of concussion symptoms, in addition to personal and interpersonal factors that influence symptom reporting. As a result, observable signs of concussion can ensure concussions are identified and appropriately treated. Here, we define a potential novel sign, the spontaneous headshake after a kinematic event (SHAAKE) and evaluate its utility in the diagnosis of concussion.

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Background: Youth sports coaches play a critical role in proper concussion recognition and management, reinforcing the need for coach concussion education. As of 2021, most states have statutory and policy measures mandating concussion education for coaches. In practice, these mandates have been enacted through state legislatures and their respective youth sport governing bodies.

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Purpose: To identify characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 infection that are associated with hospitalization in children initially evaluated in a Pediatric Emergency Department (ED).

Methods: We identified cases of SARS-CoV-2 positive patients seen in the Arkansas Children's Hospital (ACH) ED or hospitalized between May 27, 2020, and April 28, 2022, using ICD-10 codes within the Pediatric Hospital Information System (PHIS) Database. We compared infection waves for differences in patient characteristics and used logistic regressions to examine which features led to a higher chance of hospitalization.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Blood-based biomarkers are being explored to detect brain injuries from repetitive head impacts, specifically in former football players, by analyzing plasma levels of various proteins like tau and amyloid.
  • - A study involving 180 former football players and 60 control participants found that specific biomarkers (p-tau181 and p-tau231) were significantly elevated in the football players, indicating potential brain damage linked to their sport.
  • - The findings suggest that certain plasma proteins (p-tau, GFAP, NfL) could help in understanding and identifying neurological issues related to head impacts, with younger players showing more severe biomarker changes.
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Introduction: is a rare event that occurs following blunt, non-penetrating trauma to the chest, precipitating a ventricular arrhythmia. requires immediate medical attention through cardiopulmonary resuscitation and defibrillation, often resulting in death. is most common condition among young male athletes.

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In recent years, attention to the realization and characterization of wetsuits for scuba diving and other sea sports or activities has increased. The research has aimed to establish reliable and standardized measurement methods to objectively assess wetsuit quality, particularly focusing on their mechanical and thermal properties. In this work, we describe and compare two different measurement methods for the characterization of neoprene wetsuit thermal resistivity.

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  • Parkinsonism is often linked to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) caused by repetitive head injuries, but the exact causes of parkinsonism in CTE patients are not fully understood.
  • This study examined brain donors diagnosed with CTE to determine how often parkinsonism occurs and its relationship with brain damage due to past sports-related injuries.
  • Results indicated that 24.7% of CTE participants experienced parkinsonism, which was associated with older age, higher dementia rates, and more severe stages of CTE, suggesting a significant connection between the severity of CTE and parkinsonism.
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Repetitive head impacts (RHIs) from football are associated with the neurodegenerative tauopathy chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). It is unclear whether a history of traumatic brain injury (TBI) is sufficient to precipitate CTE neuropathology. We examined the association between TBI and CTE neuropathology in 580 deceased individuals exposed to RHIs from football.

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Article Synopsis
  • Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative condition linked to repeated head trauma and characterized by tau protein aggregates in the brain, which typically progress from the neocortex to other brain areas as the disease advances.
  • A subset of CTE cases known as cortical-sparing CTE (CSCTE) involves less tau buildup in the neocortex but more in the medial temporal lobe and brainstem, affecting around 11% of brain donors diagnosed with CTE.
  • Clinically, individuals with CSCTE showed fewer dementia symptoms and less cognitive decline compared to typical high-stage CTE patients, but exhibited earlier onset of behavioral and motor symptoms.
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Objective: To determine the incidence rates (IRs) of catastrophic injuries and exertional medical events in lacrosse athletes.

Methods: Catastrophic injuries and exertional medical events in lacrosse in the US among youth or amateur, high school and college athletes were analysed from the National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research (NCCSIR) database from 1982/83 to 2019/20. Frequencies, IRs per 100,000 athlete-seasons (AS) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and incidence rate ratios (IRRs) with 95% CIs were calculated.

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Objectives: This study aimed to identify differences in length of stay and readmission in patients admitted with bronchiolitis based on preferred written language. A secondary aim was to assess adherence to providing written discharge instructions in patients' preferred language.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we included 384 patients aged 0 to 2 years discharged from 2 children's hospitals with bronchiolitis from May 1, 2021, through April 30, 2022; patients were excluded for history of prematurity, complex chronic condition, or ICU stay during the study period.

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Background: Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by hyperphosphorylated tau (p-tau) accumulation. The clinical features associated with CTE pathology are unclear. In brain donors with autopsy-confirmed CTE, we investigated the association of CTE p-tau pathology density and location with cognitive, functional, and neuropsychiatric symptoms.

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Background And Objectives: Recent data link exposure to repetitive head impacts (RHIs) from American football with increased white matter hyperintensity (WMH) burden. WMH might have unique characteristics in the context of RHI beyond vascular risk and normal aging processes. We evaluated biological correlates of WMH in former American football players, including markers of amyloid, tau, inflammation, axonal injury, neurodegeneration, and vascular health.

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  • Former football players are at risk for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which can include parkinsonism as a clinical feature.
  • A study assessed 120 former professional and 58 college football players, comparing them to 60 similar-aged men without repetitive head impacts, to investigate rates of parkinsonism.
  • Results showed that 12.4% of football players met parkinsonism criteria, with a higher prevalence in professional players, but overall rates were low and inconclusive regarding the effects of football exposure on parkinsonism.
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  • This study investigates the impact of repetitive head impacts (RHI) on cognitive decline and dementia by examining the brains of 571 donors exposed to RHI, focusing on 13 different neuropathologies.
  • It was found that a significant majority (77.2%) of these donors exhibited moderate to severe neurodegenerative or cerebrovascular issues, with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) being the most common pathology.
  • The research highlights that several pathologies, including Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body disease, are interrelated and contribute significantly to cognitive impairment in individuals with a history of RHI.
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  • * The study analyzed data from 152 brain donors under 30 years old, revealing that 41.4% were diagnosed with CTE, primarily in its mild stages.
  • * CTE cases were more prevalent among older athletes, particularly males in amateur sports like football, with those diagnosed having significantly longer playing careers.
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  • Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a brain disease that can happen from repeated hits to the head, especially in football players.
  • Researchers made a special tool called a position exposure matrix (PEM) to estimate how much head impact different players experience based on their position and level of play.
  • The study found that how long players participate in football and the total strength of their head impacts are closely related to CTE, suggesting that stronger and more repeated hits to the head are more likely to cause this brain disease.
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  • The 6th International Conference on Concussion in Sport took place in Amsterdam from October 27-30, 2022, leading to a new consensus statement and updates on concussion protocols.
  • In preparation, author groups conducted extensive systematic reviews over 3½ years on key concussion-related topics, informing the conference discussions and outcomes.
  • The conference introduced revised tools like CRT6 and SCAT6, emphasized the importance of the para athlete's perspective, and highlighted gaps in research concerning concussion prevention and long-term effects.
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The purpose of this paper is to summarise the consensus methodology that was used to inform the International Consensus Statement on Concussion in Sport (Amsterdam 2022). Building on a Delphi process to inform the questions and outcomes from the 5th International Conference on Concussion in Sport, the Scientific Committee identified key questions, the answers to which would help encapsulate the current science in sport-related concussion and help guide clinical practice. Over 3½ years, delayed by 2 years due to the pandemic, author groups conducted systematic reviews on each selected topic.

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