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Reduced white matter integrity in amateur boxers

  • Functional Neuroradiology
  • Published:
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Abstract

Introduction

Professional boxing can lead to chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a variant of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Its occurrence in amateur boxers is a matter of debate since amateur boxing is considered to be less harmful due to more strict regulations. However, several studies using different methodological approaches have revealed subtle signs of TBI even in amateurs. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is sensitive to microscopic white matter changes and has been proven useful in TBI when routine MR imaging often is unrevealing.

Methods

DTI, with tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) together with neuropsychological examination of executive functions and memory, was used to investigate a collective of 31 male amateur boxers and 31 age-matched controls as well as a subgroup of 19 individuals, respectively, who were additionally matched for intellectual performance (IQ).

Results

All participants had normal findings in neurological examination and conventional MR. Amateur boxers did not show deficits in neuropsychological tests when their IQ was taken into account. Fractional anisotropy was significantly reduced, while diffusivity measures were increased along central white matter tracts in the boxers group. These changes were in part associated with the number of fights.

Conclusions

TBSS revealed widespread white matter disturbance partially related to the individual fighting history in amateur boxers. These findings closely resemble those in patients with accidental TBI and indicate similar histological changes in amateur boxers.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neuroradiology, University of Heidelberg Medical School, Im Neuenheimer Feld 400, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany

    Christian Herweh, Andreas J. Bartsch, Sabine Heiland, Martin Bendszus & Stefan Hähnel

  2. Department of Neurology, University of Heidelberg Medical School, Heidelberg, Germany

    Klaus Hess

  3. Department of Neurology, Krankenhaus Nordwest, Frankfurt, Germany

    Uta Meyding-Lamadé

  4. Department of Neuroradiology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland

    Christoph Stippich

  5. National Training Center for Boxing, Heidelberg, Germany

    Joachim Jost

  6. Department of Sports Medicine, University of Heidelberg Medical School, Heidelberg, Germany

    Birgit Friedmann-Bette

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  1. Christian Herweh
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  2. Klaus Hess
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  3. Uta Meyding-Lamadé
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Correspondence to Christian Herweh.

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We declare that all human and animal studies have been approved by the ethics committee of the University of Heidelberg and have therefore been performed in accordance with the ethical standards laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments. We declare that all patients gave informed consent prior to inclusion in this study.

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Herweh, C., Hess, K., Meyding-Lamadé, U. et al. Reduced white matter integrity in amateur boxers. Neuroradiology 58, 911–920 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00234-016-1705-y

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