Bernick, Charles

Importance In vivo biomarkers for detecting neuropathologies from repetitive head impacts (RHI), including chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), are needed. Objective To evaluate the utility of plasma phosphorylated tau 217 (p-tau217), assess its performance as a beta-amyloid (Aβ) biomarker in participants with RHI exposure at risk for CTE, and explore concordance with CTE neuropathology in a postmortem subsample. Design, Setting, and Participants This longitudinal, multicenter, case-control study used data from the Diagnostics, Imaging, and Genetics Network for the Objective Study and Evaluation of CTE (DIAGNOSE CTE) Research Project, collected from September 2016 to October 2023. Participants were former American football players (case participants) and asymptomatic men unexposed to RHI (control participants). A subsample had available neuropathologic data. Exposures RHI, traumatic encephalopathy syndrome (TES) diagnoses, and levels of CTE certainty. Main Outcomes and Measures Plasma p-tau217 (classified as positive [≥0.63 pg/mL], intermediate [0.40-0.62 pg/mL], and negative [<0.40 pg/mL]), Aβ–positron emission tomography (PET; 18 F-florbetapir; with Aβ-positive defined as a standardized uptake value ratio [SUVR] ≥1.10), and tau-PET ( 18 F-flortaucipir). TES diagnoses were assigned by multidisciplinary consensus conference. Analyses of postmortem brains controlled for age, race, and APOE ε4 status. Results Among 231 participants (mean [SD] age, 57.75 [8.25] years), 177 were former football players (117 professional and 60 college) and 54 were unexposed participants. Former football players had higher baseline mean (SD) p-tau217 concentrations than unexposed participants (0.35 [0.26] pg/mL vs 0.27 [0.14] pg/mL; P = .008), although this was driven by a higher proportion of Aβ-PET–positive participants among former players. Plasma p-tau217 increased over time across the sample (B = 0.207 [95% CI, 0.117-0.298]; P < .001), with no significant time × exposure group interactions. Among football players, p-tau217 showed no time × group interactions with TES diagnosis, TES-CTE certainty, or RHI metrics. Higher p-tau217 concentration correlated with higher global Aβ-PET SUVR (B = 0.058 [95% CI, 0.053-3.501; P = .01), with a few discordant cases (5 participants were p-tau217–negative and Aβ-PET–positive; 7 participants were p-tau217–positive and Aβ-PET–negative). P-tau217 had similar areas under the curve for projecting Aβ-PET positivity as cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) p-tau181/Aβ42 and CSF Aβ40/42 measures (p-tau217: AUC, 0.88 [95% CI, 0.80-0.96]; CSF p-tau181/Aβ42: AUC, 0.89 [95% CI, 0.79-1.00]; CSF Aβ40/42: AUC, 0.85 [95% CI, 0.72-0.98]). Among 9 brain donors, 6 had CTE (stages II-IV; none with Alzheimer disease). Seven had negative or intermediate p-tau217, concordant with Aβ-PET. Two p-tau217 outliers with stage III CTE had normal concentrations upon additional testing. Conclusions and Relevance The findings of this study suggest that plasma p-tau217 concentration is unlikely to be useful for the detection of CTE, but it does show utility for ruling out Aβ pathology in participants at risk for CTE.

Abstract INTRODUCTION Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a tauopathy linked to repetitive head impacts. Factors influencing brain regional susceptibility to tau deposition and spreading remain unclear. METHODS We used three datasets: [18F]flortaucipir positron emission tomography (PET) in 157 former professional American football players and 53 controls (DIAGNOSE CTE); cortical myelin water fractions (MWF) in 50 healthy individuals (Myelin Water Atlas); and white matter (WM) tract MWF and functional connectivity (FC) in 100 healthy individuals (Human Connectome Project). We tested associations between tau‐PET uptake and covariance in football players and typical cortical gray matter (GM) MWF, WM tract MWF, and FC. RESULTS Cortical regions with lower typical GM MWF showed higher tau‐PET uptake ( β = −0.399, p = 0.001). WM tracts with lower typical MWF were associated with higher tau‐PET covariance ( β = −0.238, p < 0.001). Higher typical FC was associated with higher tau‐PET covariance ( β = 0.447, p < 0.001). DISCUSSION In former football players at risk for CTE, regional susceptibility to tau deposition may be driven by low myelin and high FC.

Abstract Repetitive head impacts sustained during American football have been associated with neuropathological changes such as white matter shear injuries. However, the impact of specific factors, such as age of first exposure and cumulative head impact burden, on white matter integrity remains unclear. This study investigated in vivo white matter microstructural changes using diffusion tensor imaging and tract-based spatial statistics in 165 male former American football players (mean age 57.3 years, range 45–74) and 52 unexposed asymptomatic male controls (mean age 59.4 years, range 45–74) in the DIAGNOSE CTE Research Project. Compared to controls, former football players exhibited significantly higher fractional anisotropy (FA) in 1.97% of the white matter skeleton (1552 voxels; Cohen’s d = 0.587) and higher tissue-corrected FA (FAt) in 1.48% of the white matter skeleton (1004 voxels; Cohen’s d = 0.616). No significant differences were observed for mean diffusivity, axial diffusivity, radial diffusivity, or free water between football players and controls. Among football players, there were no significant differences in the white matter microstructure between players diagnosed with traumatic encephalopathy syndrome and those without the diagnosis. Lower FA was significantly associated with older age (P &lt; 0.00001) and an earlier age of first exposure to tackle football (P &lt; 0.01), while lower FAt was associated with greater cumulative head impact burden, specifically higher linear acceleration (P &lt; 0.04) and rotational force (P &lt; 0.02). This study highlights the influential role of exposure factors on white matter microstructure in former American football players, as well as the utility of diffusion tensor imaging to aid in characterizing the long-term effects of repetitive head impacts in contact sport athletes.

Abstract Background : Traumatic encephalopathy syndrome (TES) is a clinical research construct used to identify individuals at risk for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) following exposure to repetitive head impacts (RHI). Adjudication of TES relies on clinical features such as progressive cognitive impairment and neurobehavioral dysregulation. Blood-based biomarkers and structural neuroimaging abnormalities have been associated with TES but are not part of the criteria. This study evaluated whether TES identification was associated with the combined contribution of cognitive performance, blood biomarkers, and structural neuroimaging measures across two well-characterized cohorts. Methods : Participants included 158 professional fighters from the Professional Athletes Brain Health Study and 149 former American football players from The DIAGNOSE CTE Research Project. Three indices were constructed representing complementary domains: a cognitive index reflecting cohort-specific cognitive features, a blood biomarker index including plasma neurofilament light chain, glial fibrillary acidic protein, total tau, tau phosphorylated at amino acid 231, and APOE -ε4 carrier status, and an imaging index comprising volumetric MRI measures of subcortical structures, ventricles, and corpus callosum subregions. Grouped weighted quantile sum regression models were estimated within each cohort to evaluate associations between these indices and TES while adjusting for age, race, competition status, and RHI exposure. Results : Multidomain models demonstrated improved model performance compared with single-domain models in both cohorts (PABHS: AUC=0.91, PPV=0.80; DIAGNOSE CTE: AUC=0.84, PPV=0.85). Biomarker and imaging indices contributed additional information across cohorts, although imaging contributions were more prominent in fighters whereas blood biomarker associations were stronger in football players. Conclusion : TES in RHI-exposed athletes was associated with a convergent clinicobiological profile observed across two independent cohorts with distinct exposure patterns. These findings support multidomain analytic frameworks for evaluating correlated biological signals in RHI-exposed populations and may inform future studies of TES and CTE.

Abstract INTRODUCTION Repetitive head impacts (RHI) from contact sports may cause a unique pattern of white matter hyperintensities (WMH) on T2‐weighted fluid‐attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), termed RHI‐associated WMH (RHI‐WMH). These lesions are punctate, circular, and located at the gray–white matter boundary, an area vulnerable to trauma‐related damage. METHODS We investigated the association of RHI with these lesions in two aging cohorts: (1) former American football players versus asymptomatic unexposed men and (2) individuals with RHI from various contact sports versus non‐RHI participants. RHI‐WMH were assessed using visual ratings and a novel automated quantification pipeline. RESULTS Individuals with RHI had greater RHI‐WMH by both detection methods in both cohorts. RHI‐WMH were associated with plasma neurofilament light and p‐tau231, and flortaucipir positron emission tomography (PET) uptake. DISCUSSION RHI‐WMH may represent a new supportive biomarker for the detection of RHI‐related neuropathologies later in life.

Abstract Objective: Subjective cognitive complaints (SCC) can precede cognitive decline and are associated with demographic, exposure, lifestyle, and psychological factors. Prevalences of SCC and their correlates in individuals with repetitive head impacts (RHI) are poorly understood. This study characterized SCC in former elite American football players by frequency, mood and behavioral correlates, concordance with informant reports, and associations with neuropsychological test performance, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) markers of neurodegeneration. Method: Former American football players ( n = 180) completed measures of global and domain-specific SCC, neuropsychiatric symptom questionnaires, neuropsychological testing, lumbar puncture, and MRI. Elastic net regression evaluated the relative importance of potential SCC correlates. Intraclass correlation coefficients measured concordance between self and informant reports. Multiple linear regressions tested associations between SCC and verbal memory and executive functioning scores. CSF Aβ 1-42 , p-tau 181 , t-tau, neurofilament light (NfL), hippocampal volume, and regional cortical thickness were examined for their potential associations with SCC. Results: Rates of SCC ranged from 43 to 77% depending on the domain. Symptoms of depression, impulsivity, and anxiety were strongly associated with SCC. Self- and informant-reported SCC showed moderate inter-rater agreement. Adjusting for age, race, education, APOE ϵ4 carrier status, and depressive symptoms, SCC were associated with lower objective verbal memory and executive functioning performance. SCC were associated with lower parahippocampal cortical thickness but not with hippocampal volume or any of the measured CSF tests. Conclusions: SCC are strongly associated with neuropsychiatric factors in former American football players. SCC may also be a marker of cognitive decline and neurodegeneration.

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative disease associated with exposure to repetitive head impacts (RHIs), characterized by tau tangles around small blood vessels at the depths of the sulci. Currently, CTE can be diagnosed only postmortem , but can present with an array of cognitive, behavioral, mood, and motor symptoms. However, traumatic brain injury is also associated with increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and may lead to comorbid neuropathology. Characterization of the in vivo biomarkers of CTE is a necessary next step to facilitate accurate diagnoses. We examined the profile of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers of amyloid-β, total tau (tTau), and phospho-tau (pTau) in a cohort of former professional (PRO, n = 100) and college (COL, n = 40) football players at high risk of CTE compared to asymptomatic unexposed controls (UE, n = 43). CSF was collected under controlled conditions using collection, processing, and cryostorage kits provided by the DIAGNOSE CTE Research Project Biomarker Core, and concentrations of Aβ 40 , Aβ 42 , tTau, and pTau (pTau 181 , pTau 217 , pTau 231 ) were measured at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, using immunoassays. Associations between CSF biomarker levels with football history, and diagnosis of traumatic encephalopathy syndrome (TES) were examined using linear regression, and corrected for age, education, APOE -ε4 allele status, race, and body mass index. Our analysis revealed that football exposure affected both CSF Aβ 40 ( p = 0.039) and Aβ 42 ( p = 0.038), particularly among those under 60 years of age in the PRO compared to the UE exposure group. Among former football players, estimates of RHI exposure were not generally associated with CSF Aβ, tTau, and pTau biomarker levels. CSF Aβ 40 ( p = 0.0041) and Aβ 42 ( p = 0.011) were lower in former football players with TES diagnosis compared to unexposed participants, although CSF Aβ, tTau, and pTau biomarker levels did not differ between former players with and without a TES diagnosis. Among former football players, reduced CSF Aβ 40 ( p = 0.011) and Aβ 42 (p = 6e-04) were observed in those with cognitive impairment compared to those with neurobehavioral dysregulation. The findings of significant associations of reduced CSF Aβ levels with RHI in elite football players are in line with recent postmortem studies; however, the lack of relationship with CSF tTau and pTau species observed to be altered in the setting of AD suggests that the pathological features of CTE reflected in fluid biomarkers are complex and require further study. The overlapping comorbid age-dependent features of neurodegeneration that occur in those at risk for CTE suggest that tau pathology in CTE is not reliably reflected by currently available fluid biomarkers and that the use of multiple biomarkers related to the compound characteristics of CTE may be required for early detection.

Abstract Background In vivo biomarkers that can detect long‐term neuropathologies from repetitive head impact (RHI) exposure are needed, especially for the neurodegenerative tauopathy chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Here, we evaluated plasma p ‐tau217 as a potential biomarker for CTE p ‐tau pathology, and examined the concordance between plasma p ‐tau217 and Aβ pathology in an at‐risk for CTE sample. Method The sample included 180 male former football players (120 professional, 60 college), and 56 asymptomatic men without RHI (i.e., controls). Participants completed blood draws, 18F‐florbetapir (Aβ+=SUVR≥1.10), and 18F‐flortaucipir PET. Traumatic encephalopathy syndrome (TES) diagnoses were made. Single molecule array for plasma p ‐tau217 (ALZpath) was performed (≥0.6 cutoff used to maximize sensitivity). Nine participants had post‐mortem tissue. ANCOVA examined group differences in p ‐tau217 (football vs controls; TES‐CTE no, TES‐CTE suggestive, TES‐CTE possible/probable). Multivariable regression models tested associations between p ‐tau217 and florbetapir/flortaucipir PET. Covariates included age, race and APOE e4 . Result Sample characteristics are in Table 1. p ‐tau217 concentrations were higher in former football players compared to controls (est. marginal mean difference=‐0.217, p = 0.005). There were no group differences in Aβ‐PET SUVR. No differences were found across TES‐CTE certainty levels. In football players, higher p ‐tau217 was associated with higher Aβ‐PET SUVR (B=1.380, 95%CI[0.597‐2.155], p = 0.001) but not when Aβ+ ( n = 17) participants and those with kidney/liver disease ( n = 5) were excluded. Aβ+ participants had the highest p ‐tau217 (Figure 1). When compared against Aβ‐PET, several false Aβ‐positives (high p ‐tau217, Aβ‐) were identified, including one extreme outlier (assay related) and a cluster of Aβ‐ participants with p ‐tau217 between 0.60–1.0. There were no associations with flortaucipir SUVR (frontal, mesial temporal, left parietal). Two extreme p ‐tau217 outliers had autopsy‐confirmed CTE stage III (AD‐, Table 2). Of the remaining donors, all were AD‐ and four had CTE (stages II‐IV) with ptau217 between 0.125‐0.449. Conclusion Plasma p ‐tau217 has usefulness in quantifying Aβ pathology but restricted utility for detection of CTE. In this at‐risk for CTE sample, p ‐tau217 and Aβ‐PET were associated at the group level. At the individual level, false Aβ‐positives (and negatives) existed, including Aβ‐ participants with high p ‐tau217. We will explore whether this discrepancy is due to disease or peripheral interference with the N‐terminal binding in p ‐tau assays.