Long-Term Cognitive Performance of Retired Athletes with Sport-Related Concussion: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Reports that retired athletes who suffered from sports-related concussions during their playing career had declined cognitive performance in partial domains (immediate recall, visuospatial ability, and reaction time) later in life.

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Chronic traumatic encephalopathy in a former Australian rules football player diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease

Describes the first case of CTE in AFL

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Chronic traumatic encephalopathy in two former Australian National Rugby League players

Reports the finding of CTE pathology in the brains of two former Australian National Rugby League (NRL) players.

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Cognitive Impairment Following Acute Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Found cognitive dysfunction in a significant percentage of people with mTBI, especially in general cognitive ability, learning memory, and immediate memory.

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History of undiagnosed concussion is associated with concussion-like symptoms following subconcussive head impacts

Demonstrates the importance of addressing brain health as well as symptoms that retired players without a clinical history of concussion are experiencing as a result of repeated subconcussive blows to the head over many years.

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Association between recurrent concussion and late-life cognitive impairment in retired professional football players


Supports the assertion that history of repeated concussion increases the risk for Alzheimer’s Disease and other types of dementia.

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Profile of Self-Reported Problems with Executive Functioning in College and Professional Football Players

Supports the assertion that executive function skills are adversely affected by a history of repeated concussion and are observed in both amateur and professional football players.

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Comprehensive Neuropsychiatric and Cognitive Characterization of Former Professional Football Players: Implications for Neurorehabilitation


Supports the assertion that people with a remote history of multiple concussions, particularly when sustained in the context of contact sport, should be considered for comprehensive neuropsychiatric assessment and treatment and for careful and treatment evaluation of executive dysfunction disorders.

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Chronic traumatic encephalopathy: neurodegeneration following repetitive concussive and subconcussive brain trauma

Supports the assertion that CTE is a progressive neurodegenerative disease linked to repetitive brain trauma from contact sports and other activities.

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Diffusion MRI as a complementary assessment to cognition, emotion, and motor dysfunction after sports-related concussion: a systematic review and critical appraisal of the literature

Systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature examining dMRI alongside cognitive, emotional or motor assessments to determine relationships between these analyses.

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Quality of life of ice hockey players after retirement due to concussions

A total of 76 players were assessed, on average of 5 years after their most recent Sports Related Concussion. Overall, retired players had a high burden of post-concussion symptoms and reduced Quality of Life.

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Prolonged elevation of serum neurofilament light after concussion in male Australian football players.

Serum NfL may be a useful biomarker for the acute and sub-acute diagnosis of concussion in males, and could inform neurobiological recovery and return-to-play decisions. Future adequately powered studies are still needed to investigate biomarker changes in concussed females.

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