Neurological assessment and its relationship to CSF biomarkers in amateur boxers.

Background: Mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) or concussion is common in many sports. Today, neuropsychological evaluation is recommended in the monitoring of a concussion and in return-to-play considerations. To investigate the sensitivity of neuropsychological assessment, we tested amateur boxers post bout and compared with controls.

Monitoring concussion in a knocked-out boxer by CSF biomarker analysis.

Concussion is common in many sports, and the incidence is increasing. The medical consequences after a sport-related concussion have received increased attention in recent years since it is known that concussions cause axonal and glial damage, which disturbs the cerebral physiology and makes the brain more vulnerable for additional concussions. This study reports on a knocked-out amateur boxer in whom cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) neurofilament light (NFL) protein, reflecting axonal damage, was used to identify and monitor brain damage.

Increased CSF levels of phosphorylated neurofilament heavy protein following bout in amateur boxers.

Introduction: Diagnosis of mild TBI is hampered by the lack of imaging or biochemical measurements for identifying or quantifying mild TBI in a clinical setting. We have previously shown increased biomarker levels of protein reflecting axonal (neurofilament light protein and tau) and glial (GFAP and S-100B) damage in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) after a boxing bout. The aims of this study were to find other biomarkers of mild TBI, which may help clinicians diagnose and monitor mild TBI, and to calculate the role of APOE ε4 allele genotype which has been associated with poor outcome after TBI.

Olympic boxing is associated with elevated levels of the neuronal protein tau in plasma.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate if olympic (amateur) boxing is associated with elevation of brain injury biomarkers in peripheral blood compared to controls.

Materials And Methods: Thirty olympic boxers competing in at least 47 bouts were compared to 25 controls. Blood was collected from the controls at one occasion and from the boxers within 1-6 days after a bout and after a rest period of at least 14 days.

CSF-biomarkers in Olympic boxing: diagnosis and effects of repetitive head trauma.

Background: Sports-related head trauma is common but still there is no established laboratory test used in the diagnostics of minimal or mild traumatic brain injuries. Further the effects of recurrent head trauma on brain injury markers are unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between Olympic (amateur) boxing and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) brain injury biomarkers.